Tucson Weekly, April 28, 2022

CURRENTS: EXPANDING YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS

APRIL 28 - MAY 4, 2022 • TUCSONWEEKLY.COM • FREE

Thorny Feast The Agave Heritage Festival returns to celebrate the spirit and spirits of the Southwest

By Jeff Gardner ARTS: Tohono Chul Celebrates Tohono Weavers

XOXO: Hola, Lila Downs!

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APRIL 28, 2022 | VOL. 37, NO. 17

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STAFF

CONTENTS CURRENTS

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Our minds play tricks on us at the Science of Consciousness Conference

FEATURE

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The Agave Heritage Festival returns to celebrate the spirit and spirits of the Southwest

CITY WEEK

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New festivals, art exhibits, and your last chance to hit the Pima County Fair

ARTS & CULTURE

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Bottom’s Up!

EDITOR’S NOTE

ADMINISTRATION Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher Michael Hiatt, Vice President Tyler Vondrak, Associate Publisher, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

TEQUILA, MESCAL, BACANORA — these all come from agave. And if that were all that this thorny plant gave us, it would be enough. But agaves also provided desert dwellers with food, medicine, artistic material, thread, building material and more. And those stalks are magnificent!

It’s time again to celebrate the Agave Heritage Festival.

Centered at Hotel Congress, the festival focuses on the many uses of the agave, with talks, presentations and, of course, tastings of the different spirits that are produced by the plant.

There’s plenty of live music and dancing on the agenda. Managing editor Jeff Gardner does his usual specular job of rounding up the details in this week’s cover story. I gotta say I’m just delighted to see these community gatherings sprouting up again.

Elsewhere in this week’s issue: Regular contributor Emily Dieckman gets mindful at the latest edition of Science of Consciousness Conference; UA School of Journalism intern Jillian Bartsch previews the upcoming fundraiser for vital nonprofit Literacy Connects; arts writer Margaret Regan takes a look at

the delightful display of Tohono basketry at Tohono Chul Park; XOXO columnist Xavier Omar Otero tells you about all the great acts coming through town, including Lila Downs at Hotel Congress, Igor and the Red Elvises at 191 Toole, Keb’ Mo’ at the Fox Tucson Theatre, and Mammoth WVH (featuring Eddie Van Halen’s kid, Wolfgang Van Halen) at the Pima County Fair; Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott looks at whether Tucson can get the right zoning for new cannabis dispensaries as they race a deadline to open; sex columnist Dan Savage tackles your burning questions; and there’s plenty more, so down a shot of tequila and sink in.

Jim Nintzel Executive Editor Hear Nintz talk about how to have fun this weekend at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings during the world-famous Frank Show on KLPX, 96.1 FM.

EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Managing Editor, jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Alexandra Pere, Staff Reporter, apere@timespublications.com Nicole Feltman, Staff Reporter, nfeltman@timespublications.com Contributors: David Abbott, Rob Brezsny, Max Cannon, Rand Carlson, Tom Danehy, Emily Dieckman, Bob Grimm, Andy Mosier, Linda Ray, Margaret Regan, Will Shortz, Jen Sorensen, Clay Jones, Dan Savage PRODUCTION Courtney Oldham, Production Manager, tucsonproduction@timespublications.com Ryan Dyson, Graphic Designer, ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com CIRCULATION Aaron Kolodny, Circulation, aaron@timeslocalmedia.com ADVERTISING TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com Gary Tackett, Account Executive, gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com Kristin Chester, Account Executive, kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Zac Reynolds Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com Tucson Weekly® is published every Thursday by Times Media Group at 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona.

Address all editorial, business and production correspondence to: Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona 85741. Phone: (520) 797-4384, FAX (520) 575-8891. Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN). The Tucson Weekly® and Best of Tucson® are registered trademarks of Times Media Group. Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

RANDOM SHOTS By Rand Carlson

Glorious baskets, handmade by native artists, grace the Tohono Chul gallery

TUCSON WEEDLY

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ADHS awards SE licenses as Tucson launches process to figure out where they can open

Cover image courtesy 123rf.com

Copyright: The entire contents of Tucson Weekly are Copyright Times Media Group No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher, Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, AZ 85741.

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CURRENTS

MENTAL BREAKOUT

Physicist Christof Koch explains how expanding the walls of our conscious perception could answer big questions about the nature of humanity, including: Why does that dress look white and gold to some people and blue and black to others?

By Emily Dieckman edieckman@timespublications.com

SORENSEN

“So it’s obviously white and yellow, right?” he jokes, asking who in the audience sees the same thing and watching a few hands go up. “Who sees it as, A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR INTO A what’s the other one, blue and black?” keynote speech about the brain and Far more people raise their hands, and consciousness, physicist Christof Koch teases them for being wrong.

Koch, Ph.D., also the chief scientist and This foray into meme territory is kind president of the Allen Institute for Brain of a relief after hearing him talk extenScience and the chief scientist of the sively about neuronal correlates of conMindScope Program, grips the audisciousness and the theory that the brain ence’s attention by sharing an image of is a quantum computer earlier in the The Dress. You know the one: the yellow talk. But it’s all connected. Koch’s point, and gold/black and blue frock that cap- here, is that different people perceived tured our collective attention in 2015. the dress in different ways, and they did

so passionately because it was based on people’s individual perceptions. For example, I agree with Koch that the dress looks white and gold, even though, factually, it turned out to be black and blue (insanity). This is because, as he puts it, everything we experience in the world happens within our own frameworks, what he calls “The Perception Box.” “Everyone is a prisoner of their experience of reality, living within their own idiosyncratic Perception Box,” he says. “You can sort of, maybe, rationally appreciate the other point of view, but when push comes to shove, you say ‘No, the world is like this.’”

MAPPING THE BRAIN KOCH IS SPEAKING AT THE SCIENCE of Consciousness Conference in Tucson, AZ, where people who study the mind from every which angle gather from all over the world to discuss consciousness and have playful arguments about it. There are philosophers and

physicists, neuroscientists and anesthetists, microbiologists and planetary scientists and meditation gurus and people interested in psychedelics. I meet Stanford professors and dudes in flip flops and recent graduates from psychology and physics programs trying to figure out what they want to do next. Koch himself worked with Francis Crick to kick off the modern search for “neuronal correlates of consciousness,” or the minimum neuron activity required to produce a specific conscious experience.

Crick, of the famous duo Watson and Crick, is perhaps best known for his contributions to understanding the structure and functions of DNA. This work is sort of like the neuroscience equivalent: Now that we know some of the physical DNA structures that lead to specific traits in the body, can we figure out what physical neuron activity leads to specific conscious experiences?

This community of researchers calls explaining this link “the hard problem.”

To people who believe that the hard problem exists, there’s something

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specifically different, and difficult, about finding the link between physical substrate and experiences (e.g. “falling in love” or “sitting on the couch with your dog watching a movie”) as compared to finding that link for specific behaviors or tasks, like social reasoning, information integration and use of working memory. How do we map something like a toothache, or a gut feeling, or seeing the color red, to specific substrates in the brain? Can we?

There are a lot of factors that make this a complicated question, but one is the brain’s neuroplasticity. The majority of our neurons are in the cerebellum, Koch explains, but there are a handful of documented cases through history in which people are born without cerebellums, and can still function. Or, Koch described talking to people who have cerebellar lesions or have had parts of their cerebellums removed. While these people may lose or struggle with certain abilities, like speaking, walking or playing the violin, they don’t lack consciousness. The best explanation scientists seem to have is that the brain rewires itself to be able to do things like speak, walk and remember. This flexibility is amazing and fascinating and makes the whole thing difficult to map.

EXPANDING THE PERCEPTION BOX THE CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH community gets very passionate about this stuff. (Koch even has a running bet about solving a piece of the hard problem by 2023, which he reluctantly says he will probably lose.) But it can be easy for a pleb like me to get lost in how interesting it all is and miss the ways figuring these things out can actually improve our lives.

It turns out there a lot of ways, though! Did you know that even though anesthesia has been in use since the mid-19th century, scientists still don’t really understand how it works? Studying consciousness could help figure that out. It could also help us learn more about neurodegenerative diseases, how to build more effective AI

models and how different drugs, including psychedelics, can affect the brain.

Which brings us back to the dress.

Well, back to the Perception Box that the dress was meant to represent. If we can all only view the world through our own Perception Boxes, which are formed through a combination of nature and nurture, then we are all limited.

It’s like we’re all wearing our own sets of glasses we can’t take off. So, first of all, we’ve got to realize we’re in boxes at all.

Koch said not realizing the limits of our own perception boxes can cause real problems.

“This gives rise to a lot of suffering and low self-esteem, polarization, distorted thinking and other trauma that we experience in our society today,” he says.

He believes if people could learn to identify their own Perception Boxes, it could be the first step to learning to expand those boxes. At the end of his talk, Koch makes a compelling announcement on behalf of the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, a nonprofit organization researching consciousness for which Koch serves as chief scientist: They’re funding rigorous, scientifically valid research on how to fix this.

“We want to support research to characterize the perception box and its boundaries in the brain, track those boundaries and modify them with distinct interventions,” he said. “The intervention could be psychedelics, it could be mindfulness training, it could be breathwork, it could be long-term meditation, it could be dancing. It could be sweat lodges.”

So, if you have a theory on how to expand the bounds of our perception boxes and change humanity for the better, keep an eye out for the call for proposals from the Little Blue Dot Foundation this summer. Maybe we can work toward a world where we are all able to perceive the dress the same way, and Team White and Gold and Team Blue and Black can finally be united. ■

CLAYTOONZ by Clay Jones

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CURRENTS

They realized that providing classes online worked better for some people who had transportation issues or other challenges.

Literacy Connects provides services Literacy Connects celebrates 10 years of reading and storytelling across the entire age spectrum and provides services for more than 40,000 people in a typical year. They also partner with the International Rescue Committee to provide English language instruction for refugees and have a organizations doing literacy work in

By Jillian Bartsch garden on their property where refugees Tucson, including Literacy Volunteers tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com can grow their own food, according to of Tucson, Reading Seed, Stories that Tarver-Wahlquist.

Soar!, Reach out and Read Southern While they only have 30 employees, Arizona and Literacy for Life Coalition. they tap the skills of more than 1,000 THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR Education Statistics estimates that near- They thought that if those organizations volunteers. ly 5% of American adults are “function- came together to form a large literacy Hope Beck Goldsmith has been a organization, it would better serve the ally illiterate,” which can make it hard Reading Seed volunteer for five years community. to maintain a job, understand critical and currently works with two kinderOn July 1, 2011, those five organizapaperwork, and even navigate the world. gartners and a first grader. tions had merged into one organization: For a decade, one local nonprofit has “It is so special to connect one-on-one worked to improve reading comprehen- Literacy Connects. The nonprofit still with the kids,” Goldsmith said. “I see sion and passion throughout Southern operates many of the programs from its the same children every week, all school founding organizations, including the Arizona. year, so we have formed a relationship.”

Reading Seed for children and various Literacy Connects is a nonprofit Tarver-Wahlquist said the volunteers adult literacy programs. organization that aims to provide fill an important role.

The Reading Seed program started people with opportunities through “They don’t ‘teach kids to read,’ teachout focused on kindergartners through ers teach kids to read,” Tarver-Wahlquist literacy and creative expression. Literfifth graders. Teachers would refer indi- said. “What we do is we try to get kids to acy Connects Executive Director Matt vidual students who would be provided identify as readers.”

Tarver-Wahlquist explained that the with reading coaches. While they still organization has grown a lot over the In the Reading Seed program, they do that, they now focus more on kinder- pair a volunteer with a student and they past 10 years. garten through second grade since they get to meet one-on-one. The volunteer Literacy Connects was born in the found that starting earlier produced wake of a Tucson Regional Town Hall. brings them a book every time they better results.

The group was looking at factors that meet and the student gets to take the Literacy Connects also offers adult affected the well-being and the ecobook home. This allows the volunteers nomic health of the Tucson community. basic literacy and General Education to get to know the kids’ interests and Development test preparation in EnThey identified literacy as the most find books that would be interesting to important factor in someone’s economic glish and Spanish. When the pandemic the student. started, they moved services online and well-being, so they looked to improve “In doing so we’re creating a positive they were able to aid people they other- association between the child and bethe literacy landscape in Tucson. wise wouldn’t have been able to reach.

They identified a number of small tween reading, so that this book in front of them is not something that someone is forcing them to do, it’s not boring, it’s not a task,” Tarver-Wahlquist said. “It’s actually something they want to be a Japanese Restaurant part of and they want to be involved in.” & Sushi Bar Another program is Stories that Soar, Daily Specials Half Price Rolls where they partner with a school and $6 Sake Bombs All Day bring a box called “the magic box.”

The idea of the magic box is that it eats 5036 N Oracle Road stories, so the kids have the opportunity 888-6646 to write down stories and feed it to the M-F 11:30am to 2:30pm magic box. & 5pm to 10pm Sat 12pm to 10pm Since there isn’t a teacher grading the

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Sun 12pm to 9pm

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stories or anyone checking the grammar, the Stories that Soar program gives students the opportunity to focus on being creative. Literacy Connects then collects the box and has a group of artists read through the stories and select a few of the stories to be performed by professional actors in front of the school.

“It really gets kids excited about reading and it honors their stories by trying to do something high quality with them,” Tarver-Wahlquist said.

When the pandemic hit, they could no longer do live stage performances, so they changed Stories that Soar to Stories that Stream. They used professional artists, clay animation specialists, animators, actors, and green screens to put those stories together through film.

The Reach Out and Read program partners with pediatric clinics to give pediatricians training on how to incorporate literacy into the well-child visits for parents. When pediatricians provide information on care for the baby, they are also able to provide parents with a book to take home and encourage parents to read to their children.

They encourage parents to let the kids hold the book, turn the pages and not feel like they have to follow the story so their kids can engage more with the book and reading.

Literacy Connects’ programs rely on volunteers, which has been a challenge since the COVID outbreak.

“The volunteers are what make us go, and it’s volunteers that we need, especially for this next school year coming up,” Tarver-Wahlquist said.

Literacy Connects is celebrating their 10th anniversary at the Tucson Museum of Art courtyard on May 6 at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the 10th anniversary dinner can be purchased on their website. The event will feature dinner and a series of speakers sharing the inspirational stories from Literacy Connects’ past 10 years. ■ Anyone interested in volunteering can apply at literacyconnects.org.

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Thorny Feast

The Agave Heritage Festival returns to celebrate the spirit and spirits of the Southwest COURTESY PHOTO

By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com ACCORDING TO AZTEC MYTHOLOGY, the agave plant is a gift from the gods with the ability to bring comfort when its liquid is prepared and ingested. And while agave spirits have certainly brought their fair share of comfort and joy throughout the years, the plant group has also found its way into art, medicine, cuisine and even weaving. All of these facets are on display, when the 14th annual Agave Heritage Festival takes over multiple venues across town from Thursday, April 28 to Sunday, May 1.

Started in 2008, the Agave Heritage Festival was originally more confined as a celebration of mezcal and tequila. But over the years, its scope has expanded to include agave’s cultural, historical and commercial significance throughout the borderlands.

This year’s festival includes panel discussions, workshops, music, art exhibitions — and still plenty of opportunities to enjoy beverages as well.

“Agave’s intersection of spirits, culture, art and ecology is almost hard to describe in words,” said Todd Hanley, festival founder and general manager of Hotel Congress.

“It’s been really interesting to see the festival

evolve toward the agave plant as a symbol of sustainability and resilience. The ecology and science of the agave plant related to the mezcal industry has been a pleasant surprise, and worked with my business ethos around Hotel Congress and Maynards Kitchen.”

While the festival’s signature event, the Agave Fiesta, takes place at Hotel Congress, other participating locations include the University of Arizona, Mission Garden, the Loft Cinema and the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. The first full version since the pandemic, this year’s Agave Heritage Festival packs dozens of events into just a few days.

One of the most unique events is hosted at the “living agricultural museum,” Mission Garden, where participants can view the ancestral practice of an agave roasting pit.

Mezcal is traditionally crafted by harvesting the piña (or heart) of an agave plant and roasting it in an earthen oven, producing the signature smoky flavor. This demonstration at Mission Garden is paired with a sampling of the agave, and also serves as a fundraiser for the gardens. And as with almost every Agave Heritage Festival event, this will be accompanied by music and “mezcaleros” discussing the drink.

“It really does make it easier to understand the importance of culture and heritage when you’re in a fun and engaging environment,” Hanley said. “My knowledge of agave distillate and mezcal is still truly limited, because it is a living, breathing spirit. But what I’ve learned is that whenever I sip on mezcal, I really do try to consider the story of the product without over analyzing it. I’m more appreciative of it because I’ve visited these rustic and almost ancient palenques to see the work. You can read about how laborious the work is, but to actually experience it firsthand totally changes your view. It’s almost hard to not overthink it.”

Hanley also said that Hotel Congress’ new jazz club, The Century Room, works in concert with agave’s role. It’s a meeting place for culture and a historical craft — plus it carries plenty of mezcal and tequila. The new location, converted from the Copper Hall space, hosts touring and local jazz performers in a more intimate setting than other Hotel Congress venues. It’s hosting multiple Agave Heritage Festival events, such as Sonoran singer Lila Downs, Navajo jazz composer Larry Redhouse, and the Amilcar Guevara Latin Jazz All Stars. The Century Room is also home to the Festival’s wrap-up party, which will feature the Zona Libre Latin

Agave Heritage Festival Thursday, April 28 through Sunday, May 1 Multiple events at Hotel Congress, the Loft Cinema, El Crisol bar, Mission Garden, Hotel McCoy, University of Arizona and more agaveheritagefestival.com

Jazz Band and obligatory mezcal tastings.

Hanley says Hotel Congress and Maynards are working with agave spirits that are “closest to the festival ethos as possible,” meaning they are focusing on hand-selected and more sustainably sourced drinks to highlight.

“On some levels, Tucson and Southern Arizona is almost a ground zero for how we need to adapt to the climate realities that we stare at daily,” Hanley said. “I want to create tourism for downtown Tucson and Southern Arizona that engages in the environment, not just takes from the environment. There’s a new but small movement called ‘restorative tourism’ where you’re going into an area and giving back to the community. Sometimes tourism can overwhelm the ecology, so I want the Agave Heritage Festival to be a symbol of tourism as well as environmental sustainability.”

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AGAVE HERITAGE FESTIVAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

To that end, many of the events also come with an ecological and conscientious focus, such as the Women of Mezcal panel at the Tucson Convention Center.

According to panelist Francesca Claverie of the Borderlands Restoration Network, the event’s focus is to highlight the women involved in the historically male-dominated mezcal production industry. Claverie is a native plant specialist in the borderlands region, and will be discussing sustainability related to agave.

“Unlike so many other spirit festivals, the Agave Heritage Festival is really big on promoting the conservation aspects of agaves, since it’s such an extractive process,” Claverie said. “It’s such an important thing to keep in mind, and more and more producers are taking note of that. The industry is really changing with how we think about inclusivity and conservation with the product.”

Claverie explains a common misconception about sustainability that consumers might have is that agave spirits

are produced in the same style as other liquors. However, she says it is on “such an intensely different timeline” and there are larger ecological impacts related to the harvesting and the pit ovens.

“Agaves in general are a huge cultural plant in the borderlands, and it’s really exciting right now the amount of information that is changing, whether it’s basic landscaping to bacanora producers who are on board to help conserve this plant because they realize there’s a problem with overharvesting of agaves as it surges in popularity through Europe and the United States,” Claverie said.

Blue agave takes an average of seven years to mature before it is ready to harvest for tequila production, making it difficult to keep up with demand. This has led to the overharvesting of immature wild agaves in some Mexican states, spelling ecological trouble for agave pollinators like the longnosed bat.

The Borderlands Restoration Network works throughout Southern Arizona and across the border, such as with the Colectivo Sonora Silvestre, to promote habitat restoration, environmental education and responsible land stewardship.

“It really does come down to consumer education. If they aren’t asking for or purchasing environmentally friendly mezcals, the whole process doesn’t work. And the Agave Heritage Festival is a great way to have that education,” Claverie said. “It’s so special to be able to combine this education with a celebration, because so often, as a conservationist there’s a spin on ‘you can’t do this anymore!’ This way people can learn about conservation and still get excited.”

With the industry trying to become more environmentally friendly, different manufacturers are setting sustainability goals. For instance, the producer Mezcal Vago has set a goal of planting three agaves for every one agave they harvest. In addition, they’ve also discussed ending the use of wild agave by 2025 for most of their releases.

“We want to have a focus on ethical and sustainable spirits production,” said Francisco Terrazas, brand manager at Mezcal Vago. “Being from the borderlands, I always felt a familiarity and connection with the ecosystems that produce these spirits. They tend to be more arid and warm and I feel like that is reflected in the

spirit. Using unaged agave spirits, I feel they transmit the flavor and taste of the raw material. Whereas if you’re using a woodaged whisky, the overarching theme on the flavor profile will come from the wood.

I feel unaged spirits are a more honest representation of the material producing the spirits.”

Terrazas is from Tucson, and previously worked at Maynards. With his agave spirits knowledge and connection to the Hotel Congress group, he has helped organize some of the programming for the Agave Heritage Festival. This year, he will discuss mezcal at Hotel Congress’ art exhibition opening of agave and mezcal photography.

“There’s 20 or so states in Mexico that have a history of producing agave spirits, and Mexico is such a geographically diverse country which inherently leads to cultural diversity,” Terrazas said. “So looking across those 20 different states, you’re looking at a vast variety of climates and cultures that are producing these spirits. It’s a great way to learn about these different places and people.”

With unique opportunities to see mezcal roasting, and a focus on sustainability, Terrazas says the Agave Heritage Festival is

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one of the best spirits events he’s seen, and “it gets bigger and better every year.”

“There are so many elements of the human experience that this one plant touches,” Terrazas said. “I hope people get an appreciation for the various contexts the agave plant has. It’s a food source, it’s a resilient plant, it has a richness of flavor diversity, and it’s so representative of culture.

I think if they appreciate all the different facets of this one type of plant, that’s going to lead them to more responsible buying decisions, which is ultimately what interests me as a brand representative and as someone invested in sustainability.”

While such a large event being focused around a single type of plant may seem like a bottleneck, Terrazas argues agave is multifaceted enough to interest almost anyone in some way. He even says mezcal itself is far more diverse than people might think.

“I think one thing people get wrong is they might believe the flavor profile is homogenous,” Terrazas said. “They may have had one bad tequila one time, and they think that’s what all these spirits taste like. In reality, agave spirits have the richest diversity of flavor profiles across the board.

People might have the conception that all mezcal is inherently smoky, and that’s just not true. Of course, some are very smoky, but others can be light. It’s such a wide family of flavors.”

For the Agave Heritage Festival, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero even formally proclaimed Tucson as a “City of Century Plants.” In a special release in partnership with the Tucson City of Gastronomy, Romero explained how ubiquitous agave is in Tucson’s history, as well as front yards.

It plays a large role in the ecology and economy, and may strengthen international bonds; the governor of the state of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, has announced plans to make a traditional agave distillate, bacanora, a core part of the state’s economy. Romero expressed an intention to build “a partnership between the City of Tucson and the State of Sonora to continue to explore our economic, cultural, and geographic ties.”

“Tucson and Southern Arizona is such a unique region and so close to the border, I hope people realize that agave breaks down barriers,” Hanley said. “Learning about the people involved, the history, the geography — it’s an amazing plant.” ■

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Arizona Tiki Oasis. Okay, this event isn’t in Tucson, but it’s the least traveling you can do to end up at an island paradise. Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale presents a weekend full of tropical cocktails, a pop-up art show, and relaxing in cabanas while wearing leis.

If you’ve been needing to take some time off for R&R, this is it. Watch a seminar on mocktails, on ukuleles or on taking a minimalist approach to stocking your home Tiki bar. Shop from more than 60 Tiki vendors and take in art from dozens of top international Tiki artists. Thursday, April 28 to Sunday, May 1. Hotel Valley Ho, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, AZ. The art show is free to the public, the evening resort pass (21+) is $99 and the deluxe evening resort pass (21+) is $200. Seminars range in price.

Reclaimed: A Pop Cycle Art Show. We all know and love Pop Cycle for their eclectic mix of handmade and repurposed items.

They’re big fans of bringing new life to old stuff! They’ve put out a call to local artists who use sustainable practices in their work, and are featuring them in this one-nightonly art show. Come see local pieces made of at least 75% reclaimed materials and get some inspiration for how you can repurpose objects (or even ideas and other more ethereal projects!) in your own life. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 28. Pop Cycle, 422 N. Fourth Ave. Troubadour Thursdays: Olivia Reardon.

This is the final event in this fantastic series, in which artists play short sets at a series of downtown patios. And the Fox Tucson Theatre and the Downtown Tucson Partnership are closing things out with a bang with performances by the lead singer of Miss Olivia and the Interlopers.

Her soulful original tunes are tinged with everything from gospel music to jazz to pop-queen belting. She got her start in L.A. sitting in with Guns N’ Roses, but decided she wanted to build her band here in the Old Pueblo. Thursday, April 28, with the following approximate schedule: 5 to 5:25 p.m. at the Monica, 5:30 to 5:55 p.m. at Batch/1055 Brewing, 6:05 to 6:30 at The Delta, 6:40 to 7:25 at Charro Steak and Del Rey, and 7:35 to 8 p.m. at Perche’ No. Sons of Orpheus 30th Annual Gala Spring Concert. Tucson’s longest established men’s concert is holding no bars for this milestone anniversary. The night features a mix of choral favorites, including works by Ketèlbey, Rimsky-Korsakov and

Pima County Fair. This is the final weekend for the Pima County Fair, but there’s plenty of fun still to be had, from carnival rides to face painting, from fried foods to art displays, from champion livestock to model trains and planes. You can even come home with a free birdhouse from the friendly folks at the Audubon Society. Concerts include T.I. on Thursday night, Mammoth WVH and Ayron Jones on Friday night, Easton Corbin on Saturday night and Los Tucanes de Tijuana on Sunday night. Gates open at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Through May 1. Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road. GA $10, $5 for kids 6 to 10, free for kids 5 and under. $5 parking.

by Emily Dieckman Environmental Transcendentalism. This art exhibit at Pidgin Palace Arts is a conversation between two artists. Nika Kaiser’s The Passage portrays an imagined future in which humans, animals and plants from Glen Canyon’s past reemerge through slots in the drowned canyon walls.

Celia Reed, who has lived off the grid in the San Simon valley for the past 30 years, portrays what she sees and feels, often mountains with solitary figures in the foreground and lots of exploration of light. The show is on display through May 14 at Pidgin Palace Arts, 1110 S. Sixth Ave. Hours are listed as “11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (aspirational).”

New Directions Festival. Join the School of Theatre, Film & Television at Arizona Arts for the inauguration of this new annual festival, featuring pieces directed, designed and performed entirely by students. Think how cool it will be when these students are famous in 10 years and you can say you got to seem them back in aught 22. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30; and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. The Saturday evening show is followed by a discussion.

Harold Dixon Studio Theatre, 1025 N. Olive Road

Beethoven, plus a medley from Fiddler on the Roof. Guest soloists are Ivan Duran on clarinet, tenor Topher Esguerra, soprano Lindsey McHugh and Andrew Nix on violin.

3 p.m. Sunday, May 1. St. Cyril of Alexandria Roman Catholic Parish, Nicholson Hall, 4725 E. Pima St. $15, or $10 for groups of five or more from retirement or care facilities.

Free for students.

Tucson Celtic Festival Association Tartan Day Backyard Highland Games. Do you ever just want to watch a bunch of people in kilts throw hammers, rocks, giant logs and sacks of hay? I hadn’t really thought about it either, but now I feel like this is a must-see.

There’s one event where they have to try to toss a weight over a very high bar using just one hand. In comparison, I usually use two hands to pick up a bowl of cereal. So come on down for the sporting events, and stick around for more fun, food and entertainment by the Desert Rovers. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Forty Niner Country Club, 12000 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free for spectators.

Teddy Bear Picnic. This is the first time Trail Dust Town is hosting a teddy bear picnic, and it’s about dang time! We’ve all been waiting. Just kidding, but this event does sound adorable and I hope it becomes a regular thing. It features teddy bearthemed snacks and drinks, story time with Mildred and Dildred, live music, a teddy bear clinic with Tucson Medical Center, and arts and crafts. There are also local vendors and plenty of other activities. 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday, April 30. Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. $8 wristbands for adults and kids include unlimited rides. Free entry for teddy bears.

Inhabitants: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World. This indie film follows five Native American communities working to restore traditional land management practices in the face of changing climate. This work includes Hopi dryland farming in Arizona, restoring buffalo to the Blackfeet reservation in Montana, maintaining sustainable forestry on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin, reviving native food forests in Hawaii, and returning prescribed fire to the landscape by the Karuk Tribe of California. Recommended for ages 17 and up. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 29. Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. Seventh St. $10 suggested donation.

APRIL 28, 2022

ARTS & CULTURE

Roy J. Kurtz Collection of American Indian Art Tohono Chul Park, 7366 Paseo del Norte Through May 16 $15 adults; $13 military and seniors 62 and up; $13 students; $6 for children 5 to 12. Free for children under 5 and for members.

Free for mothers and grandmothers on Mother’s Day, May 8; free for fathers and grandfathers on Father’s Day, June 19.

Exhibit House, shops and Greenhouse open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday through Saturday. Gardens open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Garden Bistro 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. daily. Closed 4th of July and other holidays tohonochul.org, 520-742-6455

COURTESY PHOTO

Tohono O’odham basket weaver, Roy J. Kurtz Collection.

WEAVING A LEGACY

EXTRA: A revolving exhibition featuring more of the Kurtz Collection is in the Foyer Gallery of the Desert Discovery Education Center.

EXTRA: On Thursday, May 12, Terry DeWald, an author and dealer of native arts, gives a talk about Southwest basketry at noon in the Garden Pavilion. He will be in the Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to sell native works.

social worker at the VA hospital, he spent years comforting

Glorious baskets, handmade by native artists, grace the and helping G.I.s in distress. And during his own stint in the army overseas, he learned to appreciate other cultures.

Tohono Chul gallery, courtesy of a longtime collector

When he moved to Tucson from the east 50 years ago, he was enchanted by Native art of all kinds. Kurtz wasn’t a wealthy man, but during those years he carefully collected

By Margaret Regan some 1000 objects created by Native artists from all over the tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com desert Southwest, including ceramics. But he bought more baskets than anything else, 600 strong.

When he decided it was time to find a permanent home THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME THAT THE ART ON for his treasures, he wanted them to stay in Tucson. Tohono view inside the Tohono Chul gallery is made entirely with Chul, a combination of museum and desert plants, with the same kind of grasses and plants that grace the gardens a long-term interest in Native life seems a perfect fit. And outside. don’t forget the museum’s name, Tohono Chul means On display are 85 stunning woven baskets handmade by Desert Elbow or Corner in the language of the O’odham. native artists. Visitors can look out the big gallery window The works are arriving in small batches, under the care of and see yucca, devil’s claw, willow and beargrass baking in curator James Schaub. The current exhibition of 85 baskets the Arizona sun. is only a small sampling of the Kurtz collection. Their beauFor centuries, native people used these exact plants to ty pulls us into the rich history of the Arizona tribal nations. make bowls, jars and even ollas, jugs weaved so tight that The O’odham’s forebears lived for thousands of years they could carry the life-giving water essential in the desert. in the Santa Cruz Valley and southwestern Arizona and The works come from a trio of Arizona tribes: Western northern Sonora. Archaeologists have found that these early Apache, Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham. Once peoples hunted, farmed—and created baskets, primarily upon a time these objects were necessary and practical, but of willow and devil’s claw. In historical times, the Tohothe makers also made them beautiful. no O’odham still benefited from the region’s rivers and One of the Tohono O’odham pieces, an exquisite roundstreams. shape, is adorned with two slithering rattlesnakes and But when the settlers arrived in the 1800s, they introcurving coyote tracks. The stitching of the designs is black, duced cattle and canals that diverted water into their own and the base is a pale sandy shade of beargrass. properties. The O’odham were left with less water for their The Western Apache pieces are generally on the dark own agriculture and the new livestock eroded desert landside, but their designs are charming. Stitched antelopes gal- scapes. Traditional materials for basketry became scarcer. lop across a large olla jar. And in another piece, women in As a result, O’odham artisans made fewer traditional dresses and men in pants stand on a curvy bowl. An Akimel baskets; they substituted them with tin buckets and other O’odham coiled platter is covered with checkerboard in cheap manufactured goods. blue and red.

These beautiful works were recently given to Tohono CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 Chul by Roy Kurtz, a longtime collector in Tucson. As a

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By Xavier Omar Otero tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com

MARK YOUR CALENDARS… THURSDAY, APRIL 28 In a career marred by controversies and legal troubles (drugs, weapons, assault, fraud charges)—T.I. dropped No Mercy (2010) while serving 11 months in federal prison— the Atlanta rapper has announced that Kill the King (TBA) will be his final solo album.

In an interview with SOHH, T.I. reveals, “I’m ready to get the hell outta here. In chess, the object is to kill the king. Will they kill him or will he ride into the sunset?”

At Pima County Fair… With the encouragement of her parents, Ana Lila Downs Sánchez began her musical career at age 8, singing with mariachis in the Sierra Madre mountains of Oaxaca. Tapping into indigenous Mexican influences, Lila Downs has recorded songs in many languages: Mixtec, Zapotec, Mayan, Nahuatl and Purépecha.

In addition to championing immigrant causes and women’s rights, Downs has fought to preserve Indigenous Mexican languages. According to Rolling Stone, Downs is “no stranger to raising hell and consciousness through the power of song.”

Infused with infectious cumbia rhythms, Al Chile (2019), explores pleasure and pain, suffering and redemption, through the metaphor of Mexico’s ubiquitous chili pepper.

At Centennial Hall… The Century Room is the site of the official Lila Downs After Party. Mexican gypsy troubadour Salvador Duran entertains… “Somewhere Between I Love You and I’m Leaving.” Cody Jinks started his musical career fronting a Fort Worth, Texas, thrash metal band before recasting himself as a country crooner. In 2016, this country outlaw’s breakthrough album, I’m Not the Devil (2016), made Rolling Stone’s best country albums list.

At Encore… Igor Yuzov grew up in Russia when xenophobia spurred the Kremlin to be ban rock music (1985). But the intoxicating lure of forbidden was too great. In 1995, Elvis Presley came to him in a dream, directing him to start a rock & roll band, thus sealing his fate. Better Than Sex, the Siberian surf-rock of Igor and Red Elvises

will have you Grooving to the Moscow Beat. At 191 Toole… “Don’t California My Texas.” Unapologetic, zealous, and patriotic, on “Cuz I’m Country” Texas-grown country outlaw Creed Fisher stays true to his unwavering form. “I got a wild side 10 miles wide, ain’t nobody gonna change me.

I love my mama and the Bible but I still take a pull off the bottle, ’cause I’m country.”

At The Maverick… The Fox Tucson Theater presents Troubadour Thursdays. Olivia Reardon and her band are next to scatter bite sized morsels of musical confection at your favorite downtown eatery patios. See foxtucson.com for details… Woke up in neverland. Heavily influenced by Travis Scott, Oliver Francis, 6LACK and psychedelics, Tucson native Nico Jordan’s second album A Beautiful Nightmare (2021)—full of ambient flows and confessional wordplay—is a woozy, downtempo collection of emo rap.

At Chicago Bar… FRIDAY, APRIL 29 “Back on the block, back in the hood.”

Nashvillian bluesman Keb’ Mo’ (né Kevin Moore) returned to Compton to write Good To Be… (2022). Moore tells NPR, “I was at home, enjoying winter in Southern California, in the house [where] my mother passed away…and all of this stuff came back.” On “Louder” Moore shifts his focus to the future. “At one time, I was part of a new generation. In my 20s, the Vietnam War, and [standing] against nuclear weapons and power plants and polluted oceans. We were mad at the previous generation because they let that happen. And then we became the old generation, and we didn’t do anything. So I’m calling us out, apologizing to the new generation.” And the five-time Grammy winner is ready to bring it. “I may be turning 70, but I’m still hungry. I’m still out there going for it every single day.” At Fox Tucson Theatre… Wolfgang Van Halen started recording his music while he was still part of Van Halen. In 2006, his father Eddie prophetically stated on The Howard Stern Show, “Wait until you hear this kid play. He can do anything I do. The family legacy is gonna go on way after I’m gone ‘cause this kid is a natural.” Mammoth WVH. At Pima County Fair. Ayron Jones opens… Named after the patron saint of musicians, they draw musical inspiration from across the globe. Humanizing the experience of the immigrant, from the outset this band of Los Angelinos set out to represent a bicultural identity. Percussionist

Miguel “Oso” Ramirez tells NPR. “So much of our family history and lineage has to do with immigration and coming to this country.” La Santa Cecilia are “as American as apple pie and tacos.” At Rialto Theater…

On Spencer Sings the Hits (2018), veteran of many wars Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Blues Explosion)—in reaction to the toxic waste dump created when gross narcissism runs riot—asked the question, “Is it possible to torch the cut-throat world of fake news and prefab, plastic-coated teen ennui with the cold hard facts of rock ’n’ roll?” A question left largely unanswered.

Now, Spencer returns to unveil Spencer Gets It Lit (2022). A record that (as per his press release) “delivers friction, excitement, and post-modern depravity in a gonzo retaliation against idiocy that is as good a balm for our collective PTSD as any.” Jon Spencer & The HITmakers. At 191 Toole…

After a mysterious two-year absence, Mexican singer Virlan Garcia returns with a renewed awareness of the traps of life.

The rising star tells EFE that on Hibrido (2021), a collection of neo-traditional banda, norteño y corridos, he exposes the nature of his duality. At Club 4th Avenue… El Tambó Fest: Weekend One brings together cutting-edge DJs and cumbia bands from across the borderlands. Las Calakas, Uproot Andy, DJ Major League, DJ Awdre, y mas join El Tambó residents—Humblelianess, DJQ, Dirtyverbs, y Halsero—for a supersized version of Tucson’s legendary Latinx dance party sin fronteras. At Hotel Congress Plaza… “I feel right at home in either.”

Born in Texas, with roots in Chihuahua, this Mexican-American Norteño/Tejano singer-accordionist’s sound epitomizes border-straddling multiculturalism. It’s a life of “Honky Tonks & Cantinas” for Michael Salgado. In a Latinx mashup of biblical proportion, Ram Herrera, Grupo Xprezzion, y La Nueva Onda join Salgado to turn water into wine. At AVA Amphitheater… This accomplished jazz pianist’s compositions reveal horn-like lines and an impeccable sense of implied time. Larry Redhouse Trio performs at The Century Room.

Followed by Jason Carder Quartet. Late Night… Arizona’s longest running Grateful Dead tribute, Xtra Ticket. At The Rock…

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Relentless Beats presents Hello Summer.

EDM artists Loud Luxury, Ship Wreck, and Cheyenne Giles headline this pre-summer block party. At MSA Annex…

“He’s regularly the best player in the room, hands down,” enthuses Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), of this Greensville, South Carolina blues-rock guitar phenom. The Marcus King Band recant their Southern Confessions (2018). At Rialto Theater… Do it yourself. Indie-folk singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb) worked the closing shift at a Brunswick, Maine, video store before entering film school. After hours, with the owner’s permission, she used the sales floor as a makeshift recording studio.

Embracing the DIY spirit, Spaltro’s first recordings were distributed in handmade packages via the local record store. At 191 Toole… Known for their lively música fronteriza, a combination of borderland folk, mambo, and cumbia music, Frontera Bugalú entertain besotted revelers for Agave Fiesta. DJ Buttafly spins. At Hotel Congress Plaza… DJ Fat Tony holds down the Agave Fiesta After Party… Strains of swampy, jazz inflected original blues rock will waft through the air. Southbound Pilot.

At Monterey Court… Follow your indulgences into the dead of the Late Night.

Classical/flamenco guitarrista Ismael Barajas performs jazz, bossa-nova, and traditional Mexican folk music. At The Century Room…

SUNDAY, MAY 1 Specializing in a traditional norteño and corrido style, since the grupos inception (1987), Los Tucanes de Tijuana have sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Enjoying significant crossover appeal, in 2019 they became the first regional Mexican music group to perform at Coachella. At Pima County Fair… From The Land of Enchantment, Felix y Los Gatos serve up a piquant olio of zydeco/Tejano/blues for the hungry masses. Congress Cookout. At Hotel Congress Plaza… With a flair for contemporary Latino urbano music, Zona Libre bring the Annual Agave Heritage Festival to a close.

At The Century Room… Preceded by the piano stylings of Nick Stanley…

MONDAY, MAY 2 Emblematic of the Riot Grrrl movement (early 1990s), Bikini Kill worked to prove that feminism could be elemental within punk. Vocalist Kathleen Hanna would call women to the front of the stage, handing out lyric sheets to encourage participation.

An unstoppable force, she was known to

APRIL 28, 2022

dive into the crowd to remove obnoxious male hecklers. At Rialto Theater… Finding kindred spirits. Melding the harmonic complexity and conversational fluency of free jazz with the in-the-pocket groove of classic R&B and funk, Medeski, Martin & Wood emerged from the downtown Manhattan scene of the 1990s. Renowned drummer Billy Martin performs Solos and Duets. At The Century Room…

TUESDAY, MAY 3 Driven at first by his father’s military career.

Josh Rouse spent his youth living in seven states. Music was one of few constants. Later, this folk-pop singer-songwriter began his recording career in Nashville (1998) before relocating to Spain. Rouse explores Love in the Modern Age (2018). At 191 Toole. Freddy Parish opens… Paying tribute to Ireland’s rich musical and cultural heritage, Celtic Woman presents Postcards from Ireland. At Tucson Music Hall… Squaring synthesizer patterns against drum tracks, horns, guitars, and found noises, Ajo Sunshine (2021),

by J.R.C.G., is the experimental output of keyboardist Justin R. Cruz Gallego (Dreamdecay). At Club Congress… Recognized as one of the best steel drum programs in the nation. Captivating audiences with the vibrant sound of the Caribbean, Jovert Steel Drum Band (from Tucson High Magnet School) is saying goodbye to Khris Dodge, who has led the band for the past 20 years.

At Hotel Congress Plaza…

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 During a time of war, displacement, and dire need, Miss Olivia, Greg Morton, Salvador Duran, and Mark Insley circle the wagons to raise funds for global refugees. At Hotel Congress Plaza. All proceeds to benefit World Central Kitchen and Lutheran Social Services Southwest (refugee resettlement efforts)…

On the horizon: Patti LaBelle. May 6. At AVA Amphitheater… Lil Tecca. May 7. At Rialto Theater… Tucson International Mariachi Conference Espectacular. May 7. At Tucson Music Hall… Royal Blood. May 9. At Rialto Theater… Violent Femmes. May 11 At Rialto Theater…

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 15

WEAVING A LEGACY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

But the industry did not disappear altogether. Eventually, the basket weavers, most of them women, figured out new ways to make their cherished baskets. By the 1930s, they largely stopped making household goods for their families and switched to selling their wares to tourists and collectors. They made a number of changes for this new market: they traded yucca for the traditional willow; added lids on certain styles; tried out tiny baskets for size (a bunch of these are in the show); and turned to a new kind of stitching that used less material.

In two photos in the show, two proud O’odham women stand in front of an elaborate basket they have just finished, circa 1930. And no wonder: they are saving one of their people’s the art forms. Nowadays, the O’odham baskets are still in demand and still being made.

In contrast, the history of basketry among the Western Apache and the Akimel O’odham is a story of loss.

The Akimel O’odham—the River People—lived along the Gila and Salt Rivers.

The bountiful waters gave them excellent fields, and by the 18th century they made good money selling wheat to the calvary stationed in Arizona. They made baskets for their own households.

Tragically, when settlers arrived later in the century, they diverted the river to their own fields. The Akimel’s streams dried out and the disaster pushed the people into poverty. In the 20th century, while some weavers jumped into the new commercial markets, many families could not. There are still some Akimel making baskets, according to the curator, but not nearly many as in the late 19th century.

The Western Apache wove prized baskets that they used for hunting and gathering, and were especially known for burden baskets, super-sized to carry big loads. But like the Akimel, they did not adapt readily to the new markets. The fine samples of their art in the show are poignant reminders of what has been lost. ■

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APRIL 28, 2022

APRIL 28, 2022

SOCIALLY AWKWARD

ADHS awards SE licenses as Tucson launches process to figure out where they can open

By David Abbott tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT of Health Services held its lottery for the new social equity licenses earlier this month, but due to an ongoing conversation within City Council, there is a possibility none of those businesses could wind up in Tucson.

The April 8 random drawing was at best anti-climactic as far as spectacle goes, but as a result of the brief computerized dra-

ma in a room filled with members of the media, political dignitaries and anxious applicants, the clock started ticking for 26 individuals who have a few short months to secure funding and a location, and who must be open within 18 months.

ADHS accepted more than 1,500 applications the first two weeks of December 2021 for the adult-use, recreational licenses purported to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

Nearly one-third of the applications came via “mentorship programs” set up by three of the largest operators in the state:

Mohave Cannabis Co., an Eastern Arizona company; Copperstate Farms (Your Bright Horizon) in Snowflake, and Mint Cannabis, founded in 2012 as Brightroot Inc. in Guadalupe, Arizona.

Of the licenses doled out, those multistate operators (MSOs) were the big winners, with Mohave getting five, Copperstate three, and Mint pulling up the rear with two.

Many of the other applicants were either individuals who ponied up the $4,000 non-refundable application fee or those registered as limited liability companies in the Phoenix or Tucson areas.

While the licenses do not belong to the MSOs, should the individual winners— who must maintain a 51% share of the license—fail to make sufficient progress due to financial or zoning problems, they would have to either forfeit the license or find someone with sufficient cash laying around to purchase them.

What happens next is open for speculation, as nothing prevents applicants from transferring their majority ownership to existing corporate dispensaries.

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 17

WHERE WILL THEY OPEN? In April 2021, the City of Tucson amended its zoning codes to open up more potential locations for weed-related businesses in the city.

In order to give council time to provide feedback to ADHS on the social equity process, Mayor Regina Romero proposed a moratorium on recreational licenses, which the city adopted with the zoning updates.

While the moratorium does not include medical marijuana licenses (which are covered under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act of 2010 and are allowed to become “dual-licenses”), Prop 207 (which legalized recreational weed in the state in 2020) does not afford the social equity or recreational licenses similar protections.

In order to address that issue, on March 22, the Tucson City Council voted to begin creating a special exception zoning process for the social equity licenses.

That process could take several months even as the clock is ticking for the newly minted licensees.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 28, 2022

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“Ultimately, the direction on this has come from Mayor and Council,” Tucson’s principal planner Dan Bursuck wrote via email. “We are hoping to have the first stakeholder meeting in May. This will be a code amendment, and generally those take around six months to complete.”

At the council study session, Romero criticized ADHS for not taking the council’s suggestions into account when it finalized the rules last December.

“The process that ADHS put together really allowed for corporate dispensaries to take advantage of the process,” she said. “I just want to make sure that we initiate the process and have a fair process in front of us.”

Romero had several other issues with the program as it is currently designed, believing it “falls short of promoting the social equity issue,” with restrictive eligibility criteria as well as the appearance of “a sizable influence by three of the largest corporate operators in the state” that would allow applicants to transfer or sell their licenses rather than get into the business.

“I like the idea of using special exceptions ... because a special exception process would allow us to provide feedback and concerns,” she said. “It allows the public to give input and feedback, as well as (allowing) mayor and council to provide additional direction to get the results we want as a community.”

Tucson is one of several jurisdictions considering a special exception procedure, according to Romero, citing Phoenix, Tempe and Flagstaff as other municipalities considering the action.

Councilmembers Steve Kozachik (Ward 6) and Paul Cunningham (Ward 2) were in favor of special procedures being put in place, with Cunningham going so far as to propose the city hire an ombudsman or “MMJ guru,” to help shepherd social equity applicants through the process.

“If we want those businesses to occupy commercial space in Tucson, if we want to be the area that’s producing product that’s being moved around the state, then we need to have an internal advocate for those folks,” Cunningham said. “That’s really where we put our money where our mouth is.”

Kozachik recognized the barriers

between the license holders and opening a business, from federal law that prohibits them from getting operating capital from banks to processes they might not be familiar with. He also acknowledged there were very few avenues to council available to guide the process, as state law precludes local jurisdictions from creating more restrictive rules than those outlined in Prop 207.

Ultimately, as far as Tucson’s control over the process goes, the state holds most of the cards.

“If we are truly concerned about the barriers to entry for the people these people the social equity licenses are intended for, we have to take a local position,” he said.

“The only tool we really have is zoning codes. We can’t usurp state law and say we’re going to adopt our own licensing processes locally.”

Kozachik also thinks the cash aspect of the marijuana industry—due to its Schedule I classification as a narcotic with no recognized medical benefits federally—opens the door for under-the-table dealings between the richest people in the industry and people wholly unprepared for dealing with municipal governments.

“This is an extremely cash-heavy industry necessarily because of the federal laws,” he said. “Going forward, these equity licenses are going to wind up with the same people that have the money, the cash, to invest in this industry right now if we don’t take a local position.”

MISSING THE BOAT But there are people in the cannabis industry who think Tucson is missing out on increasing the cannabis footprint in the city and artificially restricting competition.

According to Demitri Downing, who has a long professional and personal relationship with Cunningham as council aide from 2010-2012, and is founder of the Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA) in Arizona, says Tucson officials should have seen this coming last year when they eased restrictions on locations for cannabis-related businesses throughout the city.

“A well-intended City Council that is supposed to be championing social equity tripped over themselves and created a situation where they might actually be hurting social equity,” he said. “If you’re a planner for these social equity applicants who’ve won a license, you do not plan to come

APRIL 28, 2022

to Tucson because you’re not allowed in Tucson.”

Arizona NORML Director of Politics Jon Udell said he thinks cities like Tucson and Flagstaff, which recently started its own discussions about special exemption procedures, are actually ahead of the zoning curve to some extent.

“Tucson is moving forward with zoning for adult use only, whereas most other jurisdictions just aren’t even talking about it right now,” he said. “Nowhere else in the state has zoning that’s suitable for adultuse only right now and Tucson is at least talking about it, so they’re actually further along than most other places.”

He added that some rural communities, particularly those that received the 13 “infill” rural licenses last year, have addressed dual-license zoning issues, but large urban municipalities have not because there has been no need up to now.

“The rural licenses weren’t going to Maricopa County, so there was never a need to do zoning for adult-use only until social equity happened,” he said.

Udell expects zoning discussions to be a big part of the cannabis conversation going forward.

Downing thinks the decisions of Tucson leaders won’t matter because creating new rules will come too late for it to make any difference in the final outcome.

“This is another good example of how public policymakers, government officials, just don’t know what they’re doing,” Downing said. “It’s not because they’re

uneducated or dumb, it’s because these are very complex scenarios that have never occurred before. The patients and consumers want choices and competition.

Why doesn’t the city?”

Cunningham said that take oversimplifies the issue and agrees with Udell that Tucson is ahead of the curve. There are many aspects of bringing in new businesses that must be considered, he said, including environmental impact and water usage for ancillary businesses, such as grow facilities.

“The notion that the City of Tucson is behind in expediting social equity licensures is a myth,” Cunningham stated in a recent text to the Weedly. “We have made an earnest effort to make this process as client-friendly as possible. I think the special exception process for these licensees is a novel and creative idea that will help facilitate this program.”

PIECEMEAL APPROACH While the Arizona cannabis industry is stuck with the rules that have been created, both through the passage of Prop 207 and the subsequent legislation and court rulings that have defined enforcement of the laws, legalization is playing out in an economic atmosphere that is decidedly capitalistic in nature.

Additionally, since it is illegal to move product across state lines, each operator must create its own “vertically integrated” system from growing cannabis to process-

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ing and moving it within the state without the support of the banking industry, which is limited in the types of services it can provide to an industry that is still ostensibly illegal.

“The market is going to do what the market does,” Arizona Dispensary Association Executive Director Sam Richard said. “Not a single one of the current operators in the market owns a majority stake in any of these licenses, but if they choose to purchase a majority stake, that is the choice of the social equity applicant who was awarded the license.”

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Richard concedes, though, that a lot of perceptions and problems could be fixed if cannabis were federally legal and descheduled so that everyone is working from the same rulebook.

“We’re trying to dig the foundation of a 30-story building with a melon scooper,” he said. “These are huge systemic issues that we’re trying to battle and we’re trying to go at it in a piecemeal manner, but I’m proud that Arizona is at least leading the conversation.” ■

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APRIL 28, 2022

SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

I’m a heavy sleeper, and my wife knows that, but not so heavy that I don’t wake up when she periodically masturbates next to me and has the bed shaking pretty hard. She doesn’t know this wakes me. How do I handle this? Do I offer a hand (or a dick) the next time?

Talk to her when she’s not having her moment and ask if she feels like our sex life is lacking? Or just let it go and continue to pretend that I’m still asleep when this happens? Our sex life seems healthy to me otherwise.

—Nocturnal Incidents That Erupt Necessitate Inquiries To Elucidate The wife masturbating in the middle isn’t by itself evidence your sex life is lacking, NITENITE. She’s most likely waking up horny at 3 a.m. and rubbing one out to get back to sleep. You can and should tell her over breakfast— with a loving and supportive smile on your face—that you sometimes wake up when she’s masturbating, and that you’re happy to help her out. But if all your wife wants and/or needs at 3 a.m. is a quick orgasm, she may not be interested in a full-blown sex session.

And if “helping her out” means she’s obligated to get you off before she can go back to sleep, NITENITE, don’t be surprised if she passes (and slips out of bed the next time she needs to have a wank).

Gay man here with a question about topping. I was a top with my college boyfriend but switched to being mostly a bottom in my early 20s. I’m in my late 30s now, and recently got out of a decade-long relationship, so I’ve been doing a lot of exploring and rediscovering what I want in bed. While I’m very experienced as a bottom, I feel a bit like a fish out of water when I’m topping. The guys I’ve fucked have all been very complimentary, so it doesn’t seem to be a problem with my technique, but it’s just not as intense for me.

Also, I’m uncut and I find that if I’m pushing deep inside someone then my foreskin pulls all the way back while I’m inside to the point that it hurts. (This is especially a problem when a guy rides me.) I’m with a new boyfriend who has

enjoyed bottoming for me, but all of this is kind of playing with my head so I can’t just relax and enjoy myself when topping. Should I just accept that topping isn’t for me?

—Subpar Orgasms From Topping You could accept that topping isn’t for you and swear off topping forever… but that seems a little dramatic, SOFT, and a whole lot drastic. How about accepting this instead: While you prefer bottoming to topping and your orgasms are better when you bottom, you also enjoy topping occasionally, so long as you don’t push too far in and/ or get ridden too hard. You might also wanna accept the compliments you’ve been getting about your topping skills/style. Instead of assuming the guys you’ve topped are lying to you, give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they’re telling the truth: you’re a good top and bottoming for you is a good time. And with more experience, SOFT, you’re likelier to get even better at it, earn more praise, and grow to enjoy topping more.

I am a 60-year-old woman who has had a lot of lovers. My current lover does not enjoy cunnilingus, which happens to be the only reliable way to get me off. How can I make cunnilingus more enjoyable for him? I thought about getting a can of whipped cream to “sweeten the deal,” but will that work?

—Exciting Additives That Make Eating Pussy A Lark It won’t work.

First, putting whipped cream on your clit and labia isn’t good for pussy— and since whipped cream rapidly melts after being applied to the body, EATMEPAL, it’s not going to look sexy or taste good for long. Minutes after emptying that can of whipped cream, you’re gonna look and smell like a newborn puked on your lap. Chocolate sauce, flavored lubes, whipped cream— none of those things have the power to turn someone who doesn’t like eating pussy or sucking dick into someone who does. Pussy is not a sundae, dick is not a candy bar. If cunnilingus is the

only thing that reliably gets you off, it’s a new lover you need, EATMEPAL, not a dairy product.

I’m a male who is curious about wearing a male chastity cage. I’m on blood-thinning medications and I very rarely get erections due to my health issues, but I want to experience the feeling of wearing a cage. Are there any long-term effects from wearing a cock cage for short periods of time that I need to know about? I am just curious how it would feel wearing one.

—Looking Into Mysterious Pleasures You’ll be fine, LIMP. I’ve spoken to a few urologists over the years about the risks of chastity cages for men, and their only concern was potential damage to the erectile tissues when a dick gets hard (or tries to) in the confines of a cage. If you rarely get hard—or don’t get hard randomly—there’s no danger in wearing one even for extended periods of time, so long as it’s not too tight, LIMP, and you keep it clean.

I’m a 20-year-old woman who just started a new job. One of my new coworkers is a 20-something man who doesn’t speak much English, but he’s made it very clear that he’s attracted to me. I found him on Facebook and realized he has a girlfriend in another country. So, as it turns out, he’s in a three-year-long relationship, but he can’t be with her currently. I’ve always considered men in relationships to be strictly “off limits,” but I’ve got an intense crush on this man and wanna get with him. I’m only interested in hooking up. I’m not looking for a commitment from him at all. Should I let him know I am attracted to him too and possibly ruin his relationship?

—Possible Wrecking Ball

Unless you’re planning to post to Facebook about fucking this guy and tag his girlfriend back home, I don’t see how fucking you—even if he’s not supposed to be fucking anyone while they’re apart—will automatically ruin his relationship. Here’s hoping he’s allowed to fuck other women while they’re separated like this, PWB, and here’s hoping she’s allowed to fuck other guys. But even if he were to break the rules to get with you, PWB, it doesn’t mean that he would break her heart… so long as you’re capable of being discreet.

I learned that you helped pegging get its name. But is there a name for a man using a strap-on on a woman?

—Strapped On Dude In 2001 my readers decided—in a free and fair election—to give the name “pegging” to the act of a woman fucking a man in the ass with a strap-on dildo. Some pegging purists have argued that the word should continue to mean that and only that, but language evolves and changes. These days women peg men, men peg women, women peg women, men peg men, and enbys peg all comers.

Is it okay to get a quick “happy-ending” massage once a month if you are getting almost no sex in the marriage?

—Reevaluating Understood Boundaries It’s okay with me. questions@savagelove.net Listen to Dan on the Savage Lovecast!

Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage!

Columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at savage.love!

APRIL 28, 2022

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

By Rob Brezsny. Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY HOROSCOPE 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 $1.99 per minute. 18 and over. Touchtone phone required.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I recommend you adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room for invigorating emotions. Any other ideas?

You’re in a phase when increased discipline and discernment can be liberating.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Imagining anything is the first step toward creating it,” wrote author and activist Gloria Steinem.

“Believing in a true self is what allows a true self to be born,” she added. Those are excellent meditations for you to focus on right now, Taurus. The time is ripe for you to envision in detail a specific new situation or adventure you would like to manifest in the future. It’s also a perfect moment to picture a truer, deeper, more robust version of your beautiful self—an expanded version of your identity that you hope to give birth to in the coming months.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author William Butler Yeats won a Nobel Prize for Literature, so I conclude he had considerable talent and wisdom. But he cultivated interests and ideas that were at variance with most other literary figures. For example, he believed fairies are real. He was a student of occult magic. Two of his books were dictated by spirits during séances.

In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw inspiration from his versatile repertoire.

Welcome knowledge in whatever unusual ways it might materialize. Be eager to accept power and inspiration wherever they are offered. For inspiration, here’s a Yeats’ quote: “I have observed dreams and visions very carefully, and am certain that the imagination has some way of lighting on the truth that reason has not, and that its commandments, delivered when the body is still and the reason silent, are the most binding we can ever know.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You know what’s always good for your well-being? Helping people who are less fortunate and less privileged than you. To enhance your health, you can also fight bigotry, campaign against the abuse of animals, and remedy damage to the natural world. If you carry out tasks like these in the coming weeks, you will boost your vigor and vitality even more than usual. You may be amazed at the power of your compassion to generate selfish benefits for yourself. Working in behalf of others will uplift and nurture you.

To further motivate you, here are inspirational words from designer Santiago Bautista: “I am in love with all the gifts of

the world, and especially those destined for others to enjoy.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find,” wrote author and artist William Blake. Here’s how I interpret his poetic words: On a regular basis, you become relatively immune from the debilitating effects of melancholy, apathy, and fear. At those times, you are blessed with the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. You can satisfy your soul completely. In the next six weeks, I suspect there will be more of these interludes for you than usual. How do you plan to use your exalted respite from Satan’s nagging?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Louis Little Coon Oliver (1904–1991) was a member of the indigenous Mvskoke people. He declared, “I do not waste what is wild.”

That might mean something different for him than what it would mean for you, but it’s an excellent principle for you to work with in the coming weeks. You will have more access than usual to wildness, and you might be tempted to use it casually or recklessly. I hope that instead you harness all that raw mojo with precision and grace.

Amazingly, being disciplined in your use of the wildness will ensure that it enriches you to the max and generates potent transformative energy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I suspect you will have the skills of an acrobat in the coming weeks—at least metaphorically. You will be psychically nimble. Your soul will have an exceptional ability to carry out spry maneuvers that keep you sane and sound. Even more than usual, you will have the power to adjust on the fly and adapt to shifting circumstances. People you know may marvel at your lithe flexibility. They will compliment you for your classiness under pressure. But I suspect the feats you accomplish may feel surprisingly easy and breezy!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A Tumblr blogger named Af-70 gives copious advice.

From his wide selection of wise counsel, I have selected six tips that are right for your needs in the coming weeks. Please study the following counsel. 1. “Real feelings don’t change fast.” 2. “Connect deeply or not at all.” 3. “Build a relationship in which you and your ally can be active in each other’s growth.” 4. “Sometimes what you get is better than what you wanted.” 5. “Enjoy the space between where you are and where you are going.” 6. “Keep it real with me even if it makes us tremble and shimmer.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider putting a sign on your door or a message on your social media that says something

like the following: “I’ve still got some healing to do. While I’m making progress, I’m only partway there. Am open to your suggestions, practical tips, and suggestions for cures I don’t know about.” Though the process is as yet incomplete, Sagittarius, I am proud of how diligent and resourceful you have been in seeking corrections and fixes. My only suggestions: 1. Be bold about seeking help and support. 2. Be aggressive about accessing your creativity. Expand your imagination about what might be therapeutic.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “To uncover what is hidden in my soul might take me a week or two,” my friend Allie told me. I told her she would be lucky if her brave and challenging exploration required such a short time. In contrast, some people I know have spent years trying to find what is buried and lost in their souls: me, for instance. There was one period of my life when I sought for over a decade to find and identify the missing treasure. According to my astrological analysis, you will soon enjoy multiple discoveries and revelations that will be more like Allie’s timeline than mine: relatively rapid and complete. Get ready! Be alert!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A Thai cook named Nattapong Kaweenuntawong has a unique method for cooking the soup served in his Bangkok restaurant. At the end of each night, he saves the broth for use the next day. He has been doing that daily for 45 years. Theoretically, there may

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be molecules of noodles that were originally thrown in the pot back in 1977. In accordance with current astrological omens, I urge you to dream up a new tradition that borrows from his approach. What experience could you begin soon that would benefit you for years to come?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pisces-born Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779) was a Polish nobleman and military commander. As a young man, he fought unsuccessfully to free Poland from Russian domination.

Driven into exile, he fled to America, arriving during the Revolutionary War with Britain in 1777. General George Washington was impressed with Pulaski’s skills, making the immigrant a brigadier general. He distinguished himself as a leader of American forces, exhibiting brilliance and bravery. For that excellence, he has been honored. But now, over two centuries later, his identity is in flux. DNA analyses of Pulaski’s remains suggest he was an intersex person with both male and female qualities. (Read more: tinyurl. com/PulaskiSmithsonian.) I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because the coming months will be a favorable time to question and revise your understanding of your identity. May you be inspired by Pulaski’s evolving distinctiveness.

Homework: Make a guess about when you will fulfill your next sweet ambition.

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APRIL 28, 2022

APRIL 28, 2022

Edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS Big position for an M.B.A. 4 Email folder 8 ___ buddy 13 Language that gave us “pajamas” 15 ___ Minor 16 Emcee’s warm-up 17 Sustainable water receptacles 19 Sports-star-turnedmodel Gabrielle 20 Place to order sake and sashimi 21 Where values may be taught 23 Summer setting for Toronto: Abbr.

24 Where the tibia is 26 Attention-getter 27 “Mr. Roboto” band 28 Banned from trade or commerce 31 Sound check sound 34 Strip of computer shortcuts 35 Brita competitor 36 Revered figure 37 Half of an old movie duo 39 Machu Picchu locale 40 Have a little lamb?

41 Elvis Presley’s middle name 42 Seasonal drink 44 Get off 46 New York City’s ___ Delano Roosevelt Park 47 Where you might find very little liquor 48 Marvel mischief-maker 1

49 East Coast and West

Coast educational inits.

52 Like many endangered species 55 Fastest of three famous ships 57 Many Bhangra dancers 58 Heighten expectations, say … or a hint to entering four answers in this puzzle 60 Some nasty weather 61 “The jig ___!”

62 Shabby establishment 63 Towel cloth 64 “Goodness me!”

65 Stroke … or the object of strokes

DOWN Malediction Credit card issue 3 Poet who’s full of praise 4 California’s Big ___ 5 Blend before use 6 Lion of Narnia 7 Overseas post?

8 Traditional canoe material 9 What a pirouette is performed on 10 Secretly unseal, in a way 11 Tolkien monsters 12 Homer’s local watering hole 14 Home of some N.C.A.A. Wildcats 18 One with the grounds to serve you?

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chambers 27 Subway stop: Abbr.

28 Word with dog or elephant 29 100-cent unit 30 Acetaminophen, for one 31 Even 32 Bowl berry 33 High-minded sort?

34 Part of a royal flush 38 ___ choy 39 Org. for paid drivers 41 Official pardon 43 Complaint

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45 This or that 46 About 40% of table salt 48 Lead 49 Not cool 50 “Stone Cold” ___ Austin

(TV host/wrestler) Club with dinner and a show 52 Attention-getter 53 Provoke, with “up” 54 The good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty,” e.g.

56 “___ be great if …”

59 Person with intelligence 51

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