May 2009 Tubac Villager

May 2009 Vol. IIII No. 7

Pg 3 Cover Artist Profile:

Nicholas Wilson

by Joseph Birkett

Pg 4 Santa Cruz County Update

by Kathleen Vandervoet Pg 7 Event Calendar Southern AZ History

Pg 8 Carl Schuchard

by Mary Bingham Tubac Health

Pg 10 Emmy’s Pilates

by Kathleen Vandervoet

Pg 12 Art as Art

by Olivia Cabot

Borderlands Photographer Pg 14 Abstracts of Nature

by Murray Bolesta Pg 16 Hogback Formations

by Claire McJunkin Pg 16 Bringing in the Cats

by Joseph Birkett

Pallid-winged Grasshoppers,

Pg 17 Trimerotropis Pallidipennis

by Carl Olson Pg 18 At Plaza de Anza

by Bernard Berlin Pg 19 Beyond Chardonnay

by Bernard Berlin Pg 20 Spring Has Sprung

by Carol St. John Pg 21 Letter from Africa

by Tim Vandervoet Pg 22 Enticing Meals & Snacks

by Bernard Berlin

Pg 23 Remnants from Ruth Pg 24 Tubac’s Community Center

by Kathleen Vandervoet

Pg 25 Tubac Town Map Pg 26 Taste of Tubac

by Bernard Berlin

Celebrating the Art of Living in Southern Arizona

Tubac Real Estate Team #1 agents in Tubac since 2005

Listed & Sold by The Tubac Real Estate Team!

W G NE TIN S LI

W G NE TIN S LI

LD SO

LD SO

1 Circulo Nomada

W G NE TIN S LI

E N IC TIO PR UC D RE

W G NE TIN S LI

6 Calle Dorado

7 fenced acres on Alegria Rd. $99,500

2319 Balderrain Offered at 785,000

2328 Balderrain Offered at $375,000

Listed & Sold by The Tubac Real Estate Team!

Sally Robling

124 Geary Rd Offered at $389,000

4.12 ac Garrett Ranch Rd. $140,000 W G NE TIN S LI

70 Guadalupe Rd.

Custom home on 7+ ac.

Offered at $995,000 2251 E Frontage Rd., Suite #2 (just south of the Post Office)

©

Bill Mack: (520) 398-2945 Sally Robling: (520) 398-2222 Office: (520) 398-2770 Email: Bill@Tubac.com Email: Sally@Tubac.com

27 Piedra Dr. Offered at $296,000

Virtual Tours Available At:

www.Tubac.com

2008 Realty Executives. Realty Executives® is a registered trademark. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

3

about the cover artist

by Joseph Birkett

This month’s cover art, “Three in the Garden” is by celebrated Tubac artist, Nicholas Wilson. Born in Seattle and raised in Reno, Wilson is a self-taught, Western artist who has tenaciously built a career as one of the top wildlife artists in the United States. His works, created with a deep admiration and understanding of the animals he depicts, have toured to and exhibited in over 50 museums, and belong to such prestigious collections as the Smithsonian.

Meeting at Shelby’s Bistro in Tubac for a glass of cool lemonade on a beautiful spring day, Nicholas Wilson shared with me some of his history and motivations in art.

He says he got his first real start as an artist at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in 1970, a job he landed by his drawing talents and, he recently learned, a positive word by renown Tubac artist, Tom Hill who happened to be at the museum and in the room at that time Wilson’s work was being reviewed.

“That’s when a burst of creativity occurred in my life,” Wilson says, “because I was among live animals.” Wilson explains that he walked the grounds each day as Curator of Exhibits, visiting each animal, familiarizing himself with their anatomy and movement, as his job was to create the realistic Sonoran Desert exhibits for the acclaimed museum. After 2 years there, which he calls an experience akin to self-directed wildlife art school, Wilson began working with Settlers West Gallery in Tucson, an artistic relationship that would last 15 years and develop into a chain of interesting opportunities that Wilson has turned one by one into admirable and inspiring success.

His creations, awards and accomplishments are too many to list here (read Maggie Milinovitch’s article on Wilson from December 2006 Tubac Villager available online at www.tubacvillager.com) as Wilson is an artist that knows he can accomplish any project he sets his mind to. Whether it is a small etching, a 16,250 square foot mural, or a monumental bronze sculpture, Wilson remains unintimidated by process as he employs his refined artistic skills and tools to create his vision.

His view on art is as inspiring as it is simple. He believes that anyone moved to do anything well as a means of self expression is an artist, regardless of the medium, which just a tool. An accountant can be an artist at accounting, he explains, “A person who builds a beautiful chair is an artist.” Speaking of his experiences teaching the concepts and elements of drawing to eager students at workshops, he says of art students, “They’re not learning to draw because they think that it will come in handy some day when they’re an artist. They’re learning to draw because they are an artist and they see what they want to do, and this is just a means of getting there.”

As suggestions for aspiring wildlife artists, Wilson says that understanding your subject as much as possible by life observation and getting to know the anatomy and movement is paramount, as he feels that, for the wildlife artist, movement is even more important to understand than for the human figurative artist, as animal subjects are more likely to be in motion.

When asked his favorite animal over the years to render, Wilson says, rabbits. “They have a certain texture and a grizzled coloration to their fur that I can really accomplish,” adding, “for years I only painted 5 animals and I would only paint them because the way I felt at the time would choose the animal. I painted the rabbit the most, so that tells you something about me. I painted the mountain lion the second most. And then I would paint fox, quail and coyote for different reasons - for however I was feeling at the time.”

At the top of the Wilson’s list of artists he appreciates: in painting, much of the work Andrew Wyeth, and the writings of Robert Henri, which he cherishes.

Sculpture

Wilson began sculpting back in 1979, beginning with a desert tortoise, he says, to better consider the relationship of light and form. Asked if he felt that all 2-dimentional artists could benefit from sculpting, Wilson says, “If they have a need to do it. I did.

“I have a need to understand light and shadow,” Wilson says, describing how he is sometimes surprised by how light behaves on complex shapes. “If you’re a painter, you should be able to sculpt something, even if it’s not for public consumption, and you would learn a lot from it, because you’re using the same creative process, but you are using it in an entirely different way.”

Wilson explains, “In painting, you can paint to infinity, in sculpture you can walk around it - those two differences - and you learn one from the other: sculpture helps the painting and painting helps the sculpture. I would think any serious painter would want to try sculpture and any serious sculptor would want to try painting.”

Recently, Wilson finished a magnificent bronze piece, commissioned for installation at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. After over 2 years of work, “Natural Flow,” a 14’ tall, 8’ wide bronze, was successfully installed in the museum, and now fills the area for which Wilson first designed the piece seven years ago when he and his wife Debbe visited on invitation. Wilson says that the piece cleared the entrance by three inches.

In the interim, his time is happily occupied at the new bookstore that Nick and Debbe and her sister Tedde Sharf opened this year. Located in Tubac’s Mercado de Baca, T.J.’s Tortuga Books is a handsome and comfortable space with places inside and outside to relax, have a hot espresso, chocolate or cold Italian soda, and peruse the collection of new books on display, with prints and cards of Wilson’s work also available. There is a wonderful kids’ section, too.

T.J.’s is building a collection of local authors work as well as hosting book signings and author invitations, such as this month’s author, Retired Captain, Wes Coss, visiting Saturday, May 23, signing his book Stardust Falling, as T.J.’s recognizes our fallen service men and women Memorial Day weekend.

Give the bookstore a call for more information at 520-398-8109 or visit 19 Tubac Road, Monday - Saturday 10-5, Sunday 1-5.

Look for the 7 foot-tall rabbit.

Nicholas Wilson with “Natural Flow,” his latest sculpture.

The piece is 14’ tall and now in place at the Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia.

Photo

by Joseph Birkett

In early April, just before “Natural Flow” shipped to Georgia, Nick and I visited his work at the foundry, Beyond Bronze in Tucson where the seven, strategically designed sections and 150 plus pieces were formed, poured, and welded together in the fascinating and little-changed, ancient process of lost-wax bronze casting. The immense sculpture towers over the viewer - an assembly of boulders, topped by a mountain lion drinking from a stream of sculpted water, which flows down to be captured at the bottom by Native American Indians. Two vastly separate worlds still connected by a common element, flowing between them.

The image to the right does not quite capture the sculpture’s immensity, and was taken during the last stages of patina chemical treatment, before waxing, so the colors are not true. To see and example of the finished finish, visit the “Natural Flow” original maquette, on display with other Nicholas Wilson works of art at the Karin Newby Gallery, just over the footbridge, next to Shelby’s.

Wilson explains that the regalia and features of the Native figures are based on Blackfeet Indian paintings by Howard Terpning and explains that he did not use models, but an anatomy book and a mirror. At the foundry Wilson had illustrated this by holding up his hand next to that of the sculpture to show the verisimilitude (see images at www. tubacvillager.com).

There are about 10 projects Nick Wilson says he is working on, in his mind, including perhaps more meditations on the dynamic relationship between Indian and Animal, in bronze, which he says he first fleshed out in “Natural Flow.” Currently, Wilson says that he is enjoying the entire process of this last piece. This June 3rd, Nick and Debbe will be guests of the Booth Museum and Nick will give a Powerpoint presentation on his creative process in the creation of the monumental sculpture.

Nick’s tips for sculpting? “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

This monthly journal is made possible through the support of local advertisers, artists and writers... please visit their unique businesses and let them know where you saw their ad, art or article.

The Tubac Villager is a locally owned and independently operated journal, based in Tubac and published monthly to celebrate the art of living in Southern Arizona.

Letters are welcome.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or

the publishers. Advertiser and contributor statements and qualifications are the responsibility of the advertiser or contributor named.

All articles and images are the property of the Tubac Villager, and/or writer or artist named, and may not be reproduced without permission.

May Circulation: 11,000. The Villager is made available at 180 Tucson locations, 400 Phoenix locations, and offered free of charge at locations in Tubac, Tumacacori, Carmen, Green Valley, Nogales, Rio Rico, Amado and Arivaca, Arizona.

Phone: 520-398-3980

4

Electric upgrades explained

Power outages should be reduced in the future, says the utility company that serves this area. UniSource Energy Services is planning to upgrade an existing 115,000 volt (115kV) transmission line to a 138,000 volt (138kV) transmission line between a substation south of Tucson and Nogales. As well, power poles between Amado and Nogales will be replaced.

Larry Lucero, manager of government relations for UniSource, was a speaker at the April 20 meeting of the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council in Tubac. He said the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) will make the final determination about the requests, which were to be submitted by April 24.

He said the ACC’s power plant and transmission line siting committee will hold public hearings in Rio Rico at the Esplendor Resort June 2, 3 and 4, and individuals can comment on the plan then.

If approval is granted, it’s anticipated work will start in the summer of 2011 and be completed by summer of 2012, Lucero said. For information, call (866) 4036358.

Arsenic removal news

Tubac residents and business owners got money-saving news in late April. A $1.15 million grant was approved

by Arizona Water Infrastructure Financing Authority (WIFA) to help offset the costs required for Arizona American Water Co. to install a $2.3 million arsenic removal system on Tubac wells it operates.

Also, Arizona American received a $1.15 million loan from WIFA. The money came from the federal American Recovery and Investment Act.

He said the company wants to replace aging H-shape power poles with steel monopoles 65 to 80 feet tall that will be sturdier during summer wind and thunderstorms.

Jim Patterson, a member of the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council, told attendees at the April 20 meeting the good news. Patterson said he and Dick Toye of Tubac have been working to encourage the water company for months to submit the grant and loan applications and that the water company representatives have been cooperative.

The project will mean the capacity will increase from 55 megawatts to 120 megawatts. In 2008, he said the peak demand in Santa Cruz County was at 76.5 megawatts, and turbines in Nogales at the UniSource plant had to fill in the extra capacity.

He said Arizona American is still requesting the rate increase for maintenance and operations costs it first proposed last November, but said he thinks the amount will be lower than the 73 percent the company first asked for.

The Arizona Corporation Commission will likely announce the results of the rate case in July and Tubac residents will see their monthly bills rise in September, Patterson said.

Tubac Park could use volunteers

Joe Martinez, manager of the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, is looking for a few skilled volunteers to help maintain the significant facility.

The park had been open seven days a week for many years, but as of April 21, that was cut by two days. Now it’s open Thursdays through Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The change was one made by Arizona State Parks to help save money as the agency copes with $34.5 million swept from its accounts by the state legislature.

Martinez said he’s hoping some volunteers with skills such as repairing lawn mowers and weed eaters might contact him. He also has to carry out lime plastering on walls of historic buildings. The park could also use a few individuals who would like to volunteer at the reception desk.

Other state parks that are now open just five days a week are Yuma Territorial Prison and Yuma Quartermaster Depot, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, Fort Verde State Historic Park and Oracle State Park.

For information, contact Martinez at (520) 398-2252.

May Events: Friday, May 8 ~ LIVE MUSIC by Bill Manzanedo, 5pm-9ish Friday, May 15 ~ LIVE MUSIC

by Lucky Nevada, 5pm-9ish Friday, May 22 ~ LIVE MUSIC

by Gil Brown, 5pm-9ish

Friday, May 29 ~ GOING ON VACATION PARTY! FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS, LIVE MUSIC, DOOR PRIZES, 5pm-whenever!

THE WISDOMS ARE GOING ON VACATION BEGINNING SATURDAY, MAY 30 UNTIL SUNDAY, JUNE 14

ATTENTION MUSICIANS ~ e-mail celeste@wisdomscafe.com for more info about how to get a gig at Wisdom’s!

TUES 2-FOR-1 MARGARITAS

Combination

NEW FRESH SPRING SALADS

Pineapple Citrus Salad ~ pineapple, gorgonzola, almonds, dried cherries, cucumber, carrots & tomato w/our pineapple citrus dressing Jícama Salad ~ Jícama, pineapple, cucumbers, almonds, tomato & light onion topped w/ a red wine vinagrette dressing Cucumber Salad ~ Cucumber, kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomato & light onion topped w/a red wine vinagrette dressing.

Monday ~ Enchiladas Bandera ~ 3 enchiladas, 3 different sauces (red, green & lemon cream) served with black beans.

Pineapple Citrus Salad.

Tuesday ~ Chipotle Shrimp ~ Delicious shrimp sauteed in chipotle sauce served w/black beans and our Pineapple Citrus Salad Wednesday ~ Pollo Asado ~ Mesquite grilled chicken served w/our Jícama Salad & black beans Thursday ~ Santa Cruz Chicken ~ Grilled chicken topped w/caramelized onions & our chipotle sauce served w/a Cucumber Salad & black beans Friday ~ Enchiladas del Mar ~ Enchiladas filled w/mahi mahi & shrimp in a cream sauce served w/our Jícama Salad and black beans Saturday ~ Carne Asada Tacos ~ back by popular demand!

Served w/our Cucumber Salad & black beans

ATTENTION DIEHARD WISDOM’S CUSTOMERS ~ sign up for our e-mail newsletter by contacting celeste@wisdomscafe.com and receive advance notice of special events plus specials offered only to you folks willing to let us invade your inbox every now and again!

www.wisdomscafe.com

Fruit burro flavor-of-the-month: Tropical Fruit!

Drink Special this month is a Strawberry Margarita

Great food. Great service. Great prices. Great atmosphere.

Casual, family-friendly atmosphere.

(1/2 Mile North of the Tumacácori Mission) Tumacácori, AZ 85640 (3 Miles South of Tubac)

5

Paramedics get better radios

Tubac and Rio Rico emergency medical and fire responders received new top-quality portable radios in February.

Before then, the agencies were using “hand-me-downs that had been placed out of service by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office,” said Mike Lindsey, communications specialist for the Tubac Fire District.

“There weren’t enough for all the employees so no one could take them home.”

A $376,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program was used to purchase 96 of the Motorola Type 3 540-channel radios that are shock resistant, water resistant and durable, Lindsey said.

The radios cost $1,700 each, a substantial discount from the normal $2,500 price. In addition to the radios, the grant provided $156,000 for a new computer program to improve the dispatching of fire and emergency medical responders, which is done at the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office, Lindsey said.

Another $250,000 in grant funds will be coming to Santa Cruz County emergency responders within the next few months. That is anticipated to be spent on laptop computers for front line vehicles, Lindsey said.

The computers will provide clearer and faster directions to the location of a 911 call, he said.

The funds are the result of a new regional alliance called COBRA, and the work of Washington, D.C., lobbyist Robert Stryk. COBRA stands for Collaborative Border Regional Alliance. It is now a recognized non-profit organization and can receive and allocate grant funds, said Louie Chaboya, special projects and emergency manager for the Tubac district.

Museum re-opens at Tumacácori Park

The three-room museum at the Tumacácori National Historical Park re-opened in late April following a $460,000 renovation and modernization project. It had been closed for 13 months.

New displays and exhibits are in place as is text to help visitors learn more about the area and its history. There is new flooring and a state-of-the-art lighting system.

The L-shaped, three-room museum in the visitors' center was completed in December 1937 and opened in April 1939, and its displays highlight the history of the area and the mission church.

The museum was only updated once, in the 1970s.

The Tumacácori Park is open seven days a week.

Admission is $3 per person, age 16 and older. Call (520) 398-2341 for information.

New principal for Rio Rico High School

Jim Anders has been named as principal for Rio Rico High School as of July 1. He replaces Javier Fuentes who worked just one year, and resigned effective this June 30.

Rio Rico High School is part of the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35, which serves Tubac, Amado and Tumacácori, along with Rio Rico.

Anders has been an assistant principal at the school since July 2007. He worked as Ironwood Ridge High School in the Tucson area as a teacher and coach prior to that.

His bachelor’s degree was earned at Northern Arizona University as was his master’s degree, which is in education leadership. Anders is divorced with two daughters, ages 13 and 10, he said.

When asked about one of the school’s strengths, he said it is the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, which allows students to explore lifelong work fields. He also complimented the staff at the school. One area he hopes to improve, he said, is getting students to class on time.

(Reach the writer at kathleenvan@msn.com.)

For over 40 years, our family has hand selected the finest art and textiles from around the world.

Visit our Tubac Gallery or call for our available services.

7 Plaza Road, Tubac, AZ OPEN 7 DAYS TUES - SAT 10 - 5 SUN - MON 11 - 4

New Tree Treatment and New Colors (Deeper, richer green and red) Pantone 399

10

Pantone 1685

Tucson

10 Green Valley

19

83 Tubac

Sonoita Patagonia

THE VILLAGES OF RIO RICO

Nogales

AVATAR REALTY OF ARIZONA

82

– Bella Vista North - Ranchos del Rio - Rural Homesites –

7 Now thru May 20th - Master Artist-Master Teacher & HI-ART EXHIBITS at the Tubac Center of the Arts, Plaza Road. These two exhibitions are a tribute to the teaching artist and high school students throughout the Santa Cruz Valley. For more information call 398-2371.

Wed, May 6th thru June 16th - The Green Valley members of the Former Otero Gallery of Tubac will have a show of their recent paintings at the Canoa Hills Recreation Center in Green Valley, 3660 S Camino del Sol. Gallery Hours are from 9am to 5pm.

Thurs, May 7th - Organizational Meeting for a Sustainable Santa Cruz -at The Artist’s Palate in the De Anza Plaza from 5:30pm - 7:30pm.

Attend and help establish the partnerships that will be the basis for this critical effort, to bring a unified and comprehensive transition to our communities. Be part of the planning of educational events to support sustainable living practices, and to hear from environmental groups that study the I-19 corridor and Santa Cruz watershed. The mission will be to ensure the county’s use of best practices for our energy, water, food, transportation, and housing sectors.

Working groups will be formed around these areas, to develop participation in citizen-based advocacy for regional planning by our local government. RSVP to Linda Ellinor - 707-217-6675, lellinor@q.com.

Thurs, May 7th - LUCKY Nevada (Guitar and Vocals) at Café Presidio in the Plaza de Anza from 5:30ish to 8pm.

Fri, May 8th - Michael Mack (Country Western Guitar and Vocals) at Café Presidio in the Plaza de Anza from 4pm – 7pm.

Fri, May 8th - LIVE MUSIC by Bill Manzanedo at Wisdom’s Café in Tumacacori. 5pm-9ish. 3982379.

Sat, May 9th - Tucson Symphony Orchestra's Flute Viola Harp Trio at 2pm at the Community Performing Arts Center in Green Valley, 1250 W. Continental Road. (520) 399-1750. www.performingartscenter.org. Tickets $10, Available at the CPAC, online or at the door.

Sat, May 9th - Kelly Pardi (Guitar and Vocals) at Café Presidio in the Plaza de Anza from 6ish to 8pm.

Sat, May 9th - Tubac Plaza World Music Days presents Sweet Wednesday, featuring award-winning songwriters Dave Falk and Lisa Housman from Cambridge, Massachusetts from 6:00 P.M. to dark. With modern-folk/roots rock tales of unconventional characters grappling with the world, they combine acoustic guitar with mandolin, banjo, violin, and bluesy harmonica playing, and a performance rich with vocal harmonies reminiscent of Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris. Sweet Wednesday will touch you right to the heart, as their songs tell unique stories that will keep you coming back for more!

This shows take place at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage next to the Out Of The Way Galleria at 29 Tubac Plaza. All ages welcome. FREE ADMISSION; Reciprocation by Contribution Appreciated. For more information and directions call (520) 3982542 or visit www.GlobalChangeMusic.org.

Sun, May 10th - Mothers Day specials at the Café Presidio in Plaza de Anza.

Sun, May 10th - Mother's Day voice recital

by Vicki Fitzsimmons, Parish Hall, St. Francis-inthe-Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S. La Canada Dr., Green Valley. Enjoy an afternoon of Mozart arias sung in Italian. Accompanist: Gordon Swanson.

Free, but contributions accepted to benefit the Speech and Language Dept. of the St. Andrew's Children's Clinic. From 3pm to 4pm.

Sun, May 10th thru 24th – Mountain View Students work on display at the Hal Empie Gallery on Tubac Road. This spring, nearly 500 students at Mountain View Elementary School studied the life and work of legendary Hal Empie.

Under the guidance of art teacher, Mark Dittmar,

children used crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels and computer graphics to generate their renditions of Empie’s popular “The Duet” and “Walking Quail”. Selected pieces, along with other original work will be on display from 10am-5pm daily and noon to 5 on Sundays. Please call the gallery at 3982811 or Mt. View Elementary School at 3758400 for details.

Dress up as your favorite movie star, sports hero, or historic era character and enjoy the street of Tubac alive with colorful sights and delightful sounds of roving minstrels. Special events will be taking place between 11am and 1pm at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage where we’ll be hosting a luncheon concert and costume contest! Entice all your senses - flaunt your fabulous get-up and dine on delicious vegetarian cuisine while listening to the uplifting lyrics and melodies of Global Change Music bands. The Costume Contest will take place at noon on the Main Stage, so don’t be shy! The Grand Prize is a free 3-hour Spirit Steps tour for two (married couples can bring the kids on tour for free, too!) From 10am to 11am and 2pm to 5pm roving minstrels in costume will be performing all around Tubac and participating merchants will be offering 10% off. Don’t miss this most exciting way to explore beautiful Tubac! This shows take place at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage next to the Out Of The Way Galleria at 29 Tubac Plaza. All ages welcome. FREE ADMISSION; Reciprocation by Contribution Appreciated. For more information and directions call (520) 398-2542 or visit www. globalchangemusic.org.

Tues, May 12th – Poetry reading from 5 to 8pm at Aldea de Artisticas, 14 Calle Iglesia, in Old Town Tubac. First part is happy hour, you are welcome to bring or share the refreshment of the evening. We will spend the remaining part of the time having an open forum to read, recite and receive feedback from our fellow artists who attend. It is an open forum which means, you are encourage to participate with an original piece of your work, another piece from another Artist that you are inspired by. We then will take turns discussing our work amongst the group. For more info email martitamfoss@yahoo.com.

Fri, May 15th - LIVE MUSIC by Lucky Nevada at Wisdom’s Café in Tumacacori.

5pm-9ish. 398-2379.

Sat, May 16 - Avalon Gardens’ Master Gardeners Tarenta Baldeschi and Kamon Lilly will be giving a free talk and discussion on sustainable living, the importance of growing food organically and locally, and how to make that happen in your neighborhood from 10am to 11am. They will also be sharing about the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, and Ranch in Tumacacori, Arizona. Community Supported Agriculture has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. The talk will be held at the Tubac Community Center at 50 Bridge Road.

For more info call (520) 603-9932 or visit www. avalongardens.org.

Sat, May 16 - Tubac Plaza World Music Days presents French songstress Marianne Dissard and her 5-piece band from 6pm to 9pm. Lyricist, poet, activist, singer, documentary filmmaker and multimedia performance artist Marianne Dissard was born within sight of the Pyrénées Mountains in the South of France.

Dissard’s vocals wed the cabaret/chanson tradition with Americana in a fabulous whirl of French pop, spaghetti western style. Her style is intimate Paris chanson, a low-voiced delivery, the singer addressing the microphone as if it’s your ear and she doesn’t want anyone in the room besides you to overhear whatever it is she’s saying. Polished and thoughtful, her songs carry bluesy overtones and a sultriness that will enchant you as you listen to her dusky bi-lingual vocals. This shows take place at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage next to the Out Of The Way Galleria at 29 Tubac Plaza. All ages welcome. FREE ADMISSION; Reciprocation by Contribution Appreciated. For more information and directions call (520) 398-2542 or visit www.

GlobalChangeMusic.org.

Wed, May 20th - First Annual Meeting of "For Moms By Moms." We will meet to discuss what we can do to enrich the lives of our children and families. You don't have to BE a mom. We want to hear your ideas and what you'd like to see created in our community. The meeting will be held at 6pm at the Tubac Deli. For more information visit www.formomsbymomsintubac. com.

Wed, May 20th -WINE TASTING AT ANZA MARKETPLACE from 5pm to 6pm come one come all. Plenty of room on the patio at the Anza Marketplace presents Jason Bierlein from Young’s Market - Certified Sommelier and CSW Certified.

Free Rib tasting from the Café Presidio and Free hors d’oeuvres from the Chef’s Table Restaurant as well as Cheese testing’s from The Anza Market.

Fri, May 22nd - LIVE MUSIC by Gil Brown at Wisdom’s Café in Tumacacori. 5pm-9ish. 398-2379.

SAT, MAY 23 - JOIN T.J.’s Tortuga Books in welcoming Retired Captain Wes Coss to Tubac.

Coss will be visiting and signing copies of his book, Stardust Falling, as TJ’s highlights the service of veterans. TJ’s Tortuga Books is located in the Mercado de Baca Plaza in Tubac at 19 Tubac Road.

Call 398-8109 Fri, May 29th - GOING ON VACATION PARTY! FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS, LIVE MUSIC, DOOR PRIZES, 5pm-whenever! at Wisdom’s Café in Tumacacori.

398-2369.

Sat, May 30 - join in celebrating the first Tubac Gala Costume Days from 10am to 5pm.

520 398 9705

T

U

Mata Ortiz & Casas Grandes Nov 19 - 22, 2009

Sat, May 30 - Organic Farming Film Festival from 4:00pm - 7:30pm.The first in a series of informational/speaker events promoting a Sustainable Santa Cruz. Feature and short films focusing on how organic farming is changing and improving our world. Come and enjoy the films and learn what is being done around the country. Refreshments will be served.

At the Tubac Community Center, 50 Bridge Road.

Sun, June 1st thru 26th - Green Valley OLLI June program. How do you use blogs, wikis and podcasts to expand your information horizon? Want to learn to “tweet?” Are snow and ice character elements in movies such as Fargo and Transsiberian? How can seniors communicate more effectively with their children and

...continued on page 27

B

A

C

OAXACAN ARCHAEOLOGY DAY

AND THE

OF THE

DEAD

$595.00 per person double

FILLING FAST! OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 2, 2009

Banamachi Culinary Adventure

$2785 PER PERSON DOUBLE

Nov 13 - 17, 2009

*ARCHAEOLOGY INTERPRETED

BY DR ROBERT MARKENS OF BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY *VISIT MONTE ALBAN, MITLA AND SEVERAL SMALLER SITES

$695.00 per person double

*ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT THE FOLK ART OF THE AREA AND MEET SEVERAL ARTISTS

BAJA

*SEE SPANISH COLONIAL SITES

WHALE WATCH FEB 2010 NOW FILLING!

*DELIGHT IN THE WONDERFUL CUISINE OF OAXACA CUSTOM TOURS AVAILABLE SMALL GROUPS, CULTURAL TOURS HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

CALL US FOR DETAILS! 520 398 9705

Southern Arizona History

Carl Schuchard

by Mary Bingham Schuchard was a native Hessian.

A draughtsman able by profession; And led by fortune out this way, On the first Pacific Railroad survey; His steady gaze I could not endure, For fear he'd make my caricature.

A fellow of most wondrous wit, Who oft with pencil made a hit Which pen or words cannot describe, But they ne'er forget who feel the gibe.

Charles D. Poston

from Apache-Land, 1878

U nlike Charles D. Poston, there is irrefutable proof that Carl Schuchard was

in Tubac, Tumacácori, Calabazas and the Santa Cruz River Valley in 1854. Hired as an "artist and assistant" by Colonel Andrew B. Gray for the Texas Western Railroad Company survey team, Schuchard or "Shuchard" as Gray referred to him, recorded what he saw in the newly acquired Gadsden Purchase.

Etchings made from Schuchard's sketches can be found online, courtesy of the New Mexico State University Library at: http://archives2..nmsu. edu:90/photos/search.html . (Type “Schuchard” in the search field to view 48 images from the 1854 railroad survey They are really cool!)

They are well worth viewing. Schuchard's large portfolio from the expedition was donated to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and was subsequently lost in a terrible fire at the Smithsonian on January 24, 1865. It was the

same fire in which over 200 paintings of Native Americans

by John Mix Stanley were lost.

Fortunately the inaugural issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, published December 15, 1855, highlighted Schuchard's work in a two-page spread. A. B. Gray's Report published in 1856 featured 33 wood engravings based on his sketches. For historians and lovers of art, his works are a gift that keeps on giving.

There are many questions marks associated with Schuchard's life. Pioneer Photographers of the Far West cites Brotterrode, Saxony (present-day Germany) as his birthplace while The Handbook of Texas cites HesseCassel, Germany. They may be one in the same. The 1860 Federal Census for Gillespie, Fredericksburg Co., TX shows Carl Schuchard's birthplace as Hessia.

Some sources claim Schuchard came to America in 1849 for the California Gold Rush while others claim he went directly to Fredericksburg, Texas. Julius Schuchard, Carl's older brother immigrated to Texas with the Solms-Braunfels immigrant party probably around 1844-45.

No record for Carl Schuchard turns up in the U. S. Federal

Census for 1850. However, a Carl Schuchard did arrive in Galveston, Texas in 1851. The ship's name and place of embarkation are currently unknown.

Schuchard is credited with acquiring several thousand acres of land prior to joining Gray's surveying team in 1854. Signing on at Fredericksburg, he documented the topography for the proposed railroad route, and supplemented his drawings with scenes of camp life, frontier forts, architectural sites like Tumacácori and settlements like Tubac, plus studies of the flora and fauna.

His wit as a caricaturist is highlighted in the following story by fellow survey member, Peter Brady: We had a young German with us in the expedition as an artist and a mining engineer, being a graduate of the school of mines at Fryburg. He and Gray did not get along very well together...Gray had sent our artist a few hundred yards from camp to make a sketch of the Guadalupe mountains... As usual, Gray had selected the position from which the sketch was to be made, very much against the wish of the artist, who told Gray that he could not see the mountain to advantage from that point, as it was hidden from view. However, he was determined to give Gray a fancy sketch. He was engaged a couple of hours on it and when he returned to camp and

LOOKING FOR...

• A REALTOR WORKING THIS SUMMER? ME! CALL 591-4982 • A PRIVATE OASIS?...Active Adult, Home in the Heart of Green Valley but so very private! $258,900.00 • LAND TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME IN TUBAC?1+ acre easy access, water, electric in an established neighborhood! ONLY! $87,000.00

$5000 to $4,90000

• GOLF COURSE HOME?...On Haven Golf Course...great lot, 2075 sq.ft. house and sooooo much potential! $214,000.

• A WEB SITE TO VIEW ALL THE ABOVE? www.chacha.longrealty.com, my listings, open house schedule, search for a home, tips for buying and selling!

520-591-4982

“To get information about the above properties or discover new properties - contact me:”

9

Southern Arizona History

handed it over, Gray was furious. He asked the Colonel what he thought about it. His reply was emphatic if not polite; it was, "I cannot see anything but a _____ crazy Dutchman sitting in a hollow with a pipe in his mouth and surrounded by high weeds and grass on all sides, nothing of the grand mountain to be seen."

"Vell, the next time you want a sketch let me select the place and I will do better," Shuchard [sic.] replied.

However it was such an excellent caricature that Gray preserved it.

Gray's survey team disbanded in San Francisco where Schuchard quickly joined a group of entrepreneurs forming the Arizona Mining & Trading Company (AM&TC). It would be the first incorporated exploratory group of the newly established Arizona Territory.

Historian Thomas Farrish noted:

Some time in the latter part of the year 1854, a company was formed by Major B. Allen, J. D. Wilson, William Blanding, A. S. Wright, and others, which was known as the Arizona Mining & Trading Company, under the direction of E. E. Dunbar. The expedition was outfitted in Los Angeles in October, 1854, and started, twenty men strong, for Fort Yuma. The names of these men, as far as is at present known, were E. E. Dunbar, ---McElroy, F. Rondstadt, P. Brady, G. Kibbers, George Williams, Joe Yancy, Dr. Webster, ---- Porter, Charles Hayward, ---- Bendel, ---- Cook, and one other.

The "one other" had to have been Schuchard.

Dunbar, Schuchard and the others spent approximately two years exploring the territory. Their most profitable property was the Mina del Ajo copper mine west of Tubac. Dunbar described the site saying it was "located in the desert, surrounded by stupendous mountains, and

forty miles from living water. We were supplied with that article from natural and artificial tanks in the rocks, the rain filling them once a year." The natural tanks were most like the Tinajas Altas along the Camino del Diablo.

Transportation of the ore was a major problem. Both Dunbar and Schuchard moved on to other things. Dunbar opened a trading post on the American side of the border near Sonoyta, Sonora, and Schuchard followed up on reports of another mining company startup.

Meanwhile, Poston, William Wrightson and Major Samuel P. Heintzelman were busy raising funds for the Sonora Exploring & Mining Co. (SE&MC) while another team member, German engineer Herman Ehrenberg, continued to explore for mining sites. It is not unreasonable to believe that Schuchard and Ehrenberg met each other in the mountains around Tubac. If so, Schuchard must have been impressed. By late 1856 he joined the SE&MC as an engineer along with another German mining engineer, Frederick Brucknow.

Schuchard and Brucknow "...located sixteen vein of silver, some of them two to four feet thick, within a mile of Cerro Colorado..." by February of 1857. But as promising as the mining operations were, the constant Indian and bandit attacks, lack of manpower, equipment, and funds to supply both caught up with Schuchard. After two long hard years with the SE&MC, Schuchard had had enough.

On December 29, 1858, Schuchard settled accounts with Heintzelman and Poston and he made plans to leave as soon as Wrightson arrived from the east with his share of SE&MC stock.

About this same time, Heintzelman's Army leave Army was up and he was prepared to head to Newport Barrack, Kentucky to report for duty. On January 8, 1859 Heintzelman and Schuchard caught the Overland stage

Reconnect.

Relax.

for the east, arriving at Newport, Kentucky on January 26, 1859.

Heintzelman recorded one more diary entry about Schuchard:

He moved to Texas in 1859. In March 1859, he offered to sell his 100 shares of stock in the company to Samuel Colt for "25¢ per $" and would "take the amount in Navy and Army Revolvers." Schuchard raised sheep for a while but became interested in mining operations in Texas and Mexico.

Back in Fredericksburg, Texas, Schuchard established a sheep ranch near Live Oak. By this time, a third brother, Johann Peter August Schuchard had immigrated to Texas (c. 1857). He married Ernestine Stahl and Carl married her sister Anna. In June 1860, Carl & Anna welcomed a daughter, Emilie. The following year son, Hermann, was born October 29, 1861. In March of 1862, Anna died. It is not clear what became of the children, but Schuchard moved one final time. He became the manager of the Corralitos Mining Company in Chihuahua. His mining reputation as "Don Carlos" Schuchard grew with his success. He died May 4, 1883 and is buried in the cemetery near the Hacienda Corralitos.

Sources: -Chabot, Frederick C., With the Makers of San Antonio: Genealogies of the Early Latin, AngloAmerican, and German Families with Occasional Biographies... San Antonio: Privately published by the author, 1937.

- Gray, Andrew B., Survey of a Route on the 32nd Parallel for the Texas Western Railroad, 1854: The A. B. Gray Report: and including the reminiscences of Peter R. Brady who accompanied the expedition. Los Angeles: Westernlore Press, 1963.

- Farrish, Thomas E., History of Arizona, Vol. 1. San Francisco: The Filmer Brothers Electrotype Company, 1915.

- North, Diane M.T., Samuel Peter Heintzelman and the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company.

Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1980.

- Thompson, Jerry D., Civil War to the Bloody End: The Life & Times of Major General Samuel P. Heintzelman. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 2006.

Rejuvenate Salon Spring Specials

Treat yourself

Shampoo, Blow-dry

to a

Or

Shampoo-Set for $30 Receive a complimentary haircut with your color & highlight appointment – Valid May, & June

M o t h er’s Day special Spa Packages & Gift Certificates Avai l a b l e

spa@tubacgolfresort.com www.tubacgolfresort.com

10

exercise is tailored...

by Kathleen Vandervoet

E

mmy’s Pilates Studio, owned by Margaret Skinner, offers a way to be stronger and feel healthier that’s gentler than weightlifting or running on a treadmill.

Pilates exercises can be performed on the floor on a mat but Skinner prefers a second type, which uses equipment similar to a cushioned cot with coiled springs, straps and bars.

The name of the exercise comes from Joseph Pilates who created it during World War I and notably taught it in New York in the 1960s where it became a favorite with professional dancers. He died in 1967 at the age of 87.

Anyone who pays attention to exercise information will know that Pilates and “a strong core” are generally mentioned in the same sentence. A strong core refers to the center of the body, including the abdominal muscles and the muscles close to the spine. At the same time, Pilates teaches proper breathing and how to perform the exercises with maximum power and efficiency.

“It’s all based on resistance,” Skinner said, pointing to the heavy-duty springs. They work as well as weights do on different types of machines. Numerous repetitions aren’t required. “As you get into the real guts of Pilates, you might only do three (reps).

You’re in the right position and everything is working together.

It’s different than other exercises,” she said.

Margaret Skinner, shown here with student Sandy Dahlstrom, has been in her current location in the Plaza de Anza since January of this year.

Before that, her studio was in the Totally Fit Health and Wellness center in Tubac near Chavez Siding Road for about 18 months.

(Photo by Kathleen Vandervoet)

The majority of Skinner’s clients tell her they have had trouble with their back, she said, and Pilates provides relief over time for many. “People really like the one-on-one training. They know they can do it.

They’re looking to build their core, or their arms, or to give them a better back,” she said.

Skinner has been in her current location in the Plaza de Anza since January of this year. Before

that, her studio was in the Totally Fit Health and Wellness center in Tubac near Chavez Siding Road for about 18 months. Emmy’s Pilates is in two rooms on the north side of the Plaza, where large windows look out on the K. Newby Sculpture Garden.

REAL ESTATE MARKET REGIONALIZED

For months now, we have all heard about the tough real estate market. The market certainly has taken a big hit to be sure, BUT, all states have not been affected by the real estate cycle in the same way. As you look at states hit the hardest, such as Florida, Nevada, California, and yes, Arizona, seems to top the list. However, within Arizona communities, such as Prescott, Sedona, Show Low and even Green Valley, Tubac and Rio Rico have not experienced nearly the drop in values as did the major metropolitan areas such as Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson. If you have held true to the most time honored fundamentals of Real Estate, HOLDING POWER, and have made your purchase in one of these smaller communities, you should be able to hold on and ride this out. However, if you do find that you need the services of a Real Estate professional, please give Brasher Real Estate a call and talk to any one of our agents.

We are ready and able to assist you with all of your real estate needs.

Learn more by visiting our office in Tubac at 2 Tubac Road, just at the front of the Village. Online at: www.brasherrealestate.com Phone: (520) 398-2506 Fax: (520) 398-2407 Toll Free: (800) 700-2506 E-mail: info@brasherrealestate.com

...to abilities and need focused on what they’re doing. You can work up a sweat, but you don’t have to sweat,” she said.

She can work with people of all ages and health levels.

Since the exercises are slow and can be adjusted for each individual, she can work with people who use a walker, a wheelchair and even a client who wears a cast while recuperating from a broken bone.

“Since January, I think my business has tripled.

And in an economy like this, that’s O.K.,” she said. She credits word of mouth, and ads in the Tubac Villager. More of her clients now are locals, compared to a majority of part-time Tubac residents a few years ago.

Pilates doesn’t rely on weightlifting machines, treadmills or aerobics classes. But it provides an excellent workout, Skinner said. Although the fundamentals are the same, Skinner tailors the activities to a person’s ability and needs.

“It can be very strenuous. Each program is different. I want people to stay interested and

Skinner likes to demonstrate each movement to her student.

Then, she stands by and gives verbal support and corrects when an arm or leg is in the wrong position, or to remind the student what type of breathing to use.

The Pilates studio isn’t crowded with machines; there are just two that are the size of single beds, and one chair. Skinner said, “You can do 600 to 1,000 different exercises on each piece of equipment. They are called the Reformer, the Cadillac, and a chair design called Wunda Chair.

A Ladder Barrel is available for students who are more advanced.”

30 YEARS OF PASSIONATE COLLECTING

“after shopping throughout the Southwest, I found the selection and pricing at La Paloma to be the best of the shops I have visited” ~ about.com

11

Skinner learned Pilates and was certified to teach it by attending a six-month program in 2005. The program is offered by Physical Mind Institute of New York and she studied at the Beverly Hills certifying studio. She takes continuing education classes in Pilates frequently, she said.

In August she plans to attend the world trade show in Anaheim, Calif., and take 23 units of class time there. “I’m good about keeping up with what’s in the market today. It’s fun. It invigorates you to come back and want to come up with new answers to questions your clients have, and new exercises.”

The time a person spends on Pilates “depends on what you’re looking for,” she said. Approximately half her clients come for 30 minutes two or three times a week, while the other half come for an hour two or three times a week.

Emmy’s Pilates is open Monday through Friday, and half days on Saturdays. Her hours coincide with what the client needs, such as starting at 7 a.m. if requested. The most popular way to pay is through a package. Per session costs go down when a person purchases a longer package.

Skinner said an average package might be eight half-hour sessions for $240.

Contact Margaret Skinner at (520) 275-3323 for more information.

Art as Art

by Olivia Cabot

I

n this day and age no one thinks of art as art. Most are looking for something to fill a space on the wall or for something that will match the color scheme of a room. For too long the general public has considered art as something only for the very rich and influential.

an empire out of the business of art dealing. He was a man who was thoroughly grounded in the understanding of the creative painter, thus enabling American collectors to buy some of the world’s greatest art, most of which is now housed in our great American museums.

Never have people considered art as an investment and almost to a degree those specializing in art, the gallery owner or director, the critic, the museum director, and yes even the artist himself have never thought in monetary terms.

Duveen formed art collections in the 20’s and 30’s for such men as Henry C Frick - coal and steel; William Randolph Hearst - publishing; Henry S. Huntington - railroads; Samuel Kress - merchandising; Mellon - investment banking; Phillips - oil; Wiedner - steel. Some of the collectors in the latter part of the 20th century include such men as Norton Simon - food processing; Edward Ahmanson - savings and loan; J. Paul Getty - oil and to mention two European collectors Spiros Niarchos and Aristotle Onasis - shipping. There is one thing common about the background of all of these men: each and everyone them were titans in the business and financial world. I’m positive they did not ignore the investment value of the art they purchased.

Most truly creative artists who have worked all their lives to become the best artist possible have never thought about money. Some think this is unmentionable and a person who collected art with a long term view of is possibly being an investment as unmentionable.

The love of art is, of course, the most important qualification in starting a collection. But I’ve always doubted in my mind that the truly “big” American collectors didn’t know thoroughly the investment value of art.

I’m not sure what went through Andrew Mellon’s mind in the 1920’s when the greatest art salesman of all time, Joseph Duveen, sold him Raphael’s “Alba Madonna” for $1,166,000 and Raphael’s “St. George and the Dragon” a little painting about the size of a sheet of typing paper for $747,000 and a few other paintings which brought his total purchase in this particular lot to almost $7,000,000.

I doubt very much that Mellon said, “They are beautiful, here’s my check.”

Joseph Duveen, who died in 1939, was the greatest art salesman of all time. A man of great persuasion, who built

Onasis, for one, purchased the entire collection of the late Edward G. Robinson, a noted screen actor who had a collection of perhaps 30 French impressionist paintings, which I had the privilege to see in his home in Beverly Hills. Onasis purchased the entire lot for a million and a half dollars in 1954. By any standard, regardless of fluctuating currency and inflationary spirals or downward trends in any country’s economic roads, that collection today would be worth six to ten times the amount paid then, and furthermore will ever increase in value.

It’s no sin to think of what a painting or bronze may be worth 40 years down the road. It takes time and ripening to have prices rise after the loss of a great artist.

C F

In these trying times it’s very hard to think of art as a purchase, but there is one thing for sure a good work of art will go up. The IRS knows that art appreciates it never depreciates.

The chief benefit of a work of art is very, very intangible. It is pleasure, the pride and admiration you feel when looking at it. It stirs something in you, for the artist is giving you a part of himself. Touching you with a responsive chord through his creative talent. When you own it it is something that you will enjoy and bask in over the years and it’s a safe investment overall.

Never buy a work of art to fit a space in the house or office or to go with the décor. A work of true art will fit anywhere, look and feel good anywhere, any time in any century. The purchase of one painting may satisfy a person, but if he truly loves the work he can think of owning another ..perhaps in having a well rounded collection of six or more works.

There is much to beware of in buying art and much to be aware of, just as there is in the stock market. Distinguish between a creative painting rather than an illustration which is a story telling work, subjects a good craftsman paints but knows perceptible nothing about because he has either copied nature or paints a subject he has not experienced.

As an example I will go back a bit into history and liken it to a phenomena currently in vogue and what I loosely call “Western Art” or “Cowboy Art.” At the turn of the 20th century, there was a group of painters in England which held the attention of the art crowd and the media of that time, namely the British

S A L E R O RA N C H

asa

S PECTACULAR 36 A CRE RANC H E S N E A R TUBAC , A RI ZONA

ina de Tubac

Home Furnishing and accessories

Prices subject to change without notice.

Custom window treatments.

(520) 398-8620 La Entrada de Tubac 2221 East Frontage Road Tubac, AZ 85646

Complete design services including custom bed coverings, pillows and more.

Imagine looking out from your patio into spectacular rock formations, seasonal streams, scenic mountain backdrops and grassy hillsides lined with beautiful mountain oak trees. And the best part is that all these things are on your land–The Salero Ranch.

Exceptionally secluded 36 acre custom homesites in the foothills

of the Santa Rita Mountains, between Tubac and Patagonia with direct access to the adjoining Coronado National Forest.

Privacy gated and near the shops and restaurants of Tubac, Arizona.

From $119,000 with affordable seller financing.

First United Realty Arizona’s Largest Provider of Private land

CALL 1-800-726-0100 FOR BROCHURE

INTERACTIVE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP AND PICTURES AT ARIZONALAND.COM

National Academy of Painters. There were painters like Sir Edward Burne-Jones who painted vast canvases illustrating the legends of the Bible to Chaucer; Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, his forte was Greek and Roman themes…Grecian ladies in the public baths, Roman gladiators in the arena and others. They were story tellers, they all had one thing on common, good form and color and were painstakingly precise in their attention to detail...they were boringly fine craftsmen. Paintings that sold for $85,000 in the late 1800’s could be purchased for next to nothing in the 20th century.

At the same time in England there was an American ex-patriot, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, who is classed as an impressionist. He painted falling bursts of fireworks, the Thames River at night, Battersea Bridge, portraits of Thomas Carlyle, Robert Louis Stevenson and others and his famous “Arrangement in Grey and Black,” the portrait of his mother. Whistler sold one of his paintings at that time for $2,000. Today his paintings are all in Museums throughout the world, including the Frick collection.

He was NOT an illustrator, he painted and created what he felt about what he saw.

Charles Russell and Frederick Remington lived and knew the world they painted, the “Old West.” The present day painters of these subjects - some good and some bad are illustrators and prices are astronomical for these works and I predict they will skyrocket downward in the years ahead just as they skyrocketed upward in price today.

There is nothing wrong with the Western subject matter, if it is painted from a depth of knowledge by the artist. The cowboy today, the Indian patriarch, or young woman in today’s environment, but they have to be real people, something the artist knows, experiences in today’s world. Not a fantasy of the past.

You must know something about the artist. Is he rehashing something he has not lived or seen? What credentials does he have? What has been his creative progression in his passion to be an artist?

These are important facets in buying art.

In fact it’s better if you never meet the artist - it’s the work that counts.

Many people go into the “Art Gallery” business with no knowledge of art because it’s “swanky” but they have no knowledge or training or background. An art dealer should be someone whom you can trust, like your doctor or lawyer. Someone who will guide you along the way to an art collection of worth and pride. The business itself is a nightmare where anyone who owns a painting considers himself an expert, and anyone who has ever had an art lesson considers himself another Rembrandt. So it takes a good jaundiced

eye on the work. Deal with a reputable dealer. Know the artist, not personally perhaps, but get his background, his training, his progression in his creativity.

Remember that an artist is not born…he is not an instant product from an instant kit. An artist is made by the work he produces through his won self discipline.

There has never been a “child” prodigy in art. Mozart composed his first concerto at the age of eight, there has never been such a thing in painting or sculpting. It is a life-time occupation, a driving force, an all-consuming mistress to those who have the gift and the calling. It is not a part time job. This is what separates the men from the boys in the art world.

Happy Hour 4pm – 6pm & 8pm – 10pm FREE FOOD & 2 of 1 Drinks Tues – Sat

Weekly Menu Changes • Full Bar • Eclectic Wine List BBQ Ribs and Porterhouse Steak Tue-Sat $14.99 Entrée – Pizza $10

The creative personality is rather more complicated than you or I. An artist is not a Xerox machine…or a paper box factory. The truly creative talent never rests on his laurels, is never satisfied, is always searching, seeking, cajoling himself to express what he feels and sees in a media which falls far short from the real creation which was made by God. Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rodin….among the greatest in the world died I’m sure knowing in themselves that they never really made it. Yet we know they did make it, for they still communicate with us through their work.

In buying art you’ll use words like “I really don’t know anything about art.”

But you do, you know how you feel and what moves you. “It’s a little beyond my budget.” NEVER. If your dealer is wise and helping you he’ll figure a way you can afford that work of art. “Oh anyone can do that”…never. A Painting by a good artist is a unique thing =, produced by a unique personality. There will never be another like it. “How long does it take the artist to do that?”…a lifetime. Don’t equate how long it takes to do a painting with how much a plumber gets an hour. A lifetime of agony and very little ecstasy goes into each piece produced by a creative talent… so time is not the basis of price. There are no such things as “schools” of art…only good and bad art.

I knew an artist Harold Bryant and at the age of 21 I bought three of his paintings.

He wanted $1,500 for three works, which I borrowed from the local bank. I sold them 10 years later for $27,500…a fair margin of profit. I found a small painting in a cobwebbed gallery in San Diego once, artist Edgar Payne - a very fine American painter. I paid $200 for it…sold it two years later for $10,000.

I will close with what the noted Nobel Prize winning economist, who was alive during the 1970’s financial meltdown, Dr. Milton Friedman, who reiterated in the media at that time by saying, “Invest in Rolls Royces and paintings.” Milton I loved you then and I love you now. �

ANZA DE TUBAC,

L.L.C A Property Management Company Short & Long Term Rentals Residential Property Management/Leasing

Tubac * Green Valley * Rio Rico

TUBAC EMBARCADERO Luxury Townhomes & Suites Fully Furnished www.TubacEmbarcadero.com Call (520) 398-8700 www.anzadetubac.com J. Zachery Freeland – Broker

~Complimentary initial session. ~By appointment.

520.275.3323

FREE PARKING CONVENIENTLY CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE VILLAGE BY FOOTPATHS

The Borderlands Photographer

Text and Photos by Murray Bolesta The beauty and drama of the borderlands region can move a photographer to distraction. He or she can venture beyond the literal scenes and open a new world of abstraction.

For you, the creative and imaginative borderlands photographer, while trekking through southern Arizona in search of meaning and solace, a fresh vision can leap from an otherwise conventional viewpoint.

There’s nothing prosaic about a photo of an historic mission or a monsoon sunset or a pair of deer on grassland or a cactus flower with a bee on it. These are wonderful images which simply are a bit more common.

Viewing the scene in front of you with an unorthodox, abstract vision can require you to isolate a small section of it, by zooming or leaning or, later, cropping the frame. It can mean eliminating the surroundings or context of the subject, removing the milieu.

Disconnecting a subject from its context is one of the hallmarks of the abstract image. The things that surround a subject often define it, so these things should be removed, to some degree. Deciding what to keep defines composition and can result in a striking abstract photograph.

A saguaro cactus standing on a slope with other cacti is just that, and really no more. But choosing a particular specimen and emphasizing one view of it can turn the plant into much more.

You may evoke an image of something that the subject of the photo is not. In doing so, you create a more intriguing image and you keep the audience guessing.

The abstract style involves treating the components of scenery as individual elements. Natural elements can be rendered nearly unrecognizable. Shape and form take priority. Elements can be juxtaposed for comparison or contrast, isolated by extreme close-up, reduced to silhouettes by underexposure, and so on. Normal rules, such as focus and shutter speed, may not apply.

Two of the easiest techniques of abstract photography are close-ups and water shots. In close-up photography, the minute detail that appears is normally invisible to the human eye, and thus can be a delightful discovery. With water, the reflections and distortions created by it can provide an illusive effect of fantasy. Abstract photography is about presenting an image with no clear subject; it leaves more to the imagination.

I’ll add a note about “pure” nature photography which is what I do. It’s without software manipulation. That “photo manip” is rife with opportunity for abstractness, and as a technique it employs lots of people, but is outside the scope of my comments. Instead, I try to exploit the abstractness that comes naturally.

A few months ago I wrote about photography of urban abstracts; personally I find the opportunities for abstract photography in urban settings to be more numerous and thus less challenging. Angles, straight lines, and man-made lights tend to multiply the options in the urban setting.

To create an abstract image in nature you will experiment with color, contrast, and form. Lose the constraints of a conventional view when creating such images. Try black-and-

white; try odd camera angles; experiment with camera movement and slow shutter speeds and shadows and extremes of contrast.

And go ahead and make mistakes – it’s a snap for most of us to do this with a camera.

Learn from the errors; skill is required when trying to replicate your mistakes.

The borderlands photographer can be set free by embracing the artfulness of abstract images and escaping the limitations of literal and reference photography.

Murray Bolesta’s CactusHuggers Photography specializes in borderland images and supports the preservation of southern Arizona’s natural, rural, and cultural heritage. Murray’s home gallery in Green Valley can be visited by appointment and he can be reached at www.

CactusHuggers.com.

Imagess: Top left: Spring water is a gift to southern Arizona in more ways than one. Sycamore Canyon Creek and willow leaves on an overcast autumn afternoon.

19 Tubac Road

Join Us Saturday,

May 23

as we focus on the service of veterans with Retired

Captain Wes Coss visiting and

signing copies of his book,

Stardust Falling MON-SAT 10-5 SUNDAY 1-5 EXPRESSO BAR OPEN UNTIL 4PM 19 Tubac Rd., Tubac, AZ

85646-4073 A TUBAC

520.398.8109 ORIGINAL

Mercado de Baca • 19 Tubac Road Tubac, AZ • 398-8075 SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE!!

Top right: A furled agave of Cochise Stronghold beckons the imagination.

Mid left: The hand of Mother Nature reaches out from this frosty vine in January at Arivaca Cienega.

Mid right: A cristate saguaro illustrates sublime patterns and texture. Saguaro National Park East.

friday

Monday

Linguini w/ Baby Clams

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

saturday

tuesday Wine Country Salad w/ Portabella

WEDNESDAY

Half Rack Baby Back Ribs add potato & veg. $1.50

sunday

Penne w/ Italian Sausage Rosa

8” Mediterranean Pizza Wed-Sat pick-up after 4:30pm Sun-Tues: pick-up between 3pm & 4pm

thursday Chicken Piccata

Celebrating our 12th Year!

Bottom left: An aerial view of the Santa Cruz River in Mexico illustrates the potential of sharp angles.

Bottom right: A thunderhead over the Santa Ritas appears impossibly fluffy.

* Fresh Salads * Chef’s Special Soups

* Gourment Sandwiches * Pizza

* Beef, Pork & Poultry * Pasta

* Fresh Seafood * Beer, Wine & Spirits

Hogback Formations

by Claire McJunkin We are fortunate enough to live in southern Arizona for many reasons. One noteable reason is that we are surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful, and lucky for us, visible geology; the kinds of things you don’t see in most parts of the country.

We live in a wonderland of exposed rock formations. Everywhere we turn we can see the glories of this geology.

After living here for many years and taking several geology courses at Pima Community College, I have developed a healthy passion for rocks and fossils.

While looking for fossils in the Santa Rita Mountains, I saw these wonderful and distinctive formations known as hogbacks up near the Whipple Observatory Visitor’s Center. As you travel up east Mt. Hopkins Roadd toward the visitor’s center, you can see a series of three ridges in front of you - this is called The Three Sisters.

Hogbacks form when steeply titled rock beds are eroded. The harder rock layers emerge as a hogback. According to the

Bringing

by Joseph Birkett

information at the Astronomy Vista Site, these ridges are composed of fossilbearing sedimentary rock laid down by

in

The birds stripped the seed block in just a week and now its plastic frame hangs bare from my blossoming palo verde.

Framed correctly, it looks to me like one of those pretty, oriental paintings you see at garage sales - the scrawled symbol, superimposed on an idyllic scene. Not my cup of tea, artistically, but the moment feels artful, and the birds help sustain that feeling, somehow, in most of us. Not all of us are moved in this way - but most of us are. Of this I am sure. Birds and flowers are wonderful barometers for not just the seasons, but also in more human measurements such as what one must have time for - and in southern Arizona, one must have time for the birds.

And so I have brought the cats in.

Perhaps more than I love birds, I love my cats. And though I love to take them for walks down the javelina path and let them frolic in the grasses, I had to finally bring them in, for good. It was the lifeless body of a colorful little finch, held firmly in my cat’s jaws, which finally did it. That wild madness in the eyes of an otherwise sweet cat is always disturbing and real, and definitely not the experience I am looking to for in my companionship... but Cat will hunt, and so, they must remain indoors.

The cabin fever the cats now endure manifests in delightfully distracting antics and the birds have grown less wary of my offerings of seeds and apples. They are still a little slow to come, but a few western tanagers did drop by for a couple of days, sitting here and there like little tequila sunrises. Also, a pair of hooded orioles pop in every so often, and the cardinals and pyrrhuloxia punk around, but it’s nothing like down at the Tubac Trailer Tether where Ruthie entertains the myriad birds of southern Arizona that eat from a tray right off of her window, by the table where she composes her Remnants from Ruth column and kindly serves me tea with the delicious cookies she makes. Her birds are fearless.

the

the seas which advanced and retreated over southern Arizona some 300 million years ago. The limestone beds were later lifted, tilted and thrust to the northeast over much younger, softer sedimentary rock. This formation gets its name because they resemble the high, knobby spines of pigs.

If you travel 1.5 miles up the road past the observatory you can read about them at the Astronomy Vista Site. There you can also read about the flora and fauna of our area and the different life-zones in the Santa Rita Mountains.

All of these wonderful beauties lie outside my back door - and yours. We live in such a special place amongst a beautiful landscape. So it would be a shame not to experience these amazing ancient artifacts of time for yourself.

Next time we’ll talk about hoodoos!

Cats

But then Ruthie doesn’t have cats pressed against the inside of her windows.

The relaxing admiration of our avian visitors and residents is not the only reason to keep your feline friends indoors. Cats are pretty hard on the herpetological biodiversity of the desert as well, to say nothing of small mammals - but also, the desert is pretty hard on cats. Some cat-appreciating readers may know cats that somehow make it back from roaming every night, but they are few and their future, predictable.

I have lost cats to this desert over the years, and none of those losses were easy. I tried to keep them safe. At first, I learned to never let them out at night - for, if the owls don’t get them, the foxes, bobcats, coyotes, skunks, badgers, lions or chupacabra will.

Then I learned not to let them out on windy days. Now, I have learned simply not to let them out, so they might concentrate on the wildlife which sometimes percolates in this time of year, and I don’t have to keep calling till the cats come home.

I adopted my dear companions from the Humane Society.

I spoke with Barbara Hahn from the Santa Cruz Humane Society’s Board and she informs that for those of you looking for a feline friend to keep indoors, there are currently 23 cats available and 3 kittens. If you love cats but can’t have one as a pet, please consider making a donation to the Humane Society.

One can donate by credit card over the phone, by check, or by donating items for their Thrift Shop which Barbara says has been very well received, taking in $12,000 in the period between last May through December. If you have special items you can donate, call SCHS Operations Manager, Tony Velasquez and, if necessary, he can arrange to pick them up..

520-287-5654 Santa Cruz Humane Society 232 E. Patagonia Hwy. Nogales, AZ 85621

W

e would like to say Thank You to the local community for your support. We had a great year and are looking forward to a strong summer. Below are some current and upcoming reasons to shop. *Market: May & June we will be re-setting our wine section and adding some new wines with great taste and value. *Chef’s Table Restaurant: New menu coming in May with great entrée prices starting at $13, or come join us for hors d'oeuvres and wine and watch the chef’s do their magic for as little as $12. *Café Presidio: 10% off to locals, every day, all the time, also use drink and meal frequency cards and enjoy as much as 20% off in total.

We look forward to seeing you in the stores and Thank You for your ongoing support.

Acts of Nature

by Carl A. Olson, Entomologist

I

f one walks out the door and observes, each day may bring some new, exciting activity to your life. So it is now, as April and May blossom - not in flowers but in grasshoppers. Every year in the Sonoran Desert, one may be greeted in the cities by hordes of grasshoppers, flying, jumping and in general bringing chaos to people heading to work. Park in one of the lots near Tucson, and you may feel a bit edgy as the grasshoppers try to escape by darting in the air towards safety.

Where in the world did these thousands of insects come from so suddenly? Why are they here and what will they do next?

These are pallid-winged grasshoppers, Trimerotropis pallidipennis, a group of grasshoppers with brilliant means of escape built into their physical looks and combined with well-patterned behaviors. A look at their external design shows long narrow forewings mottled with browns and blacks, plus two well-defined black bands for breaking up their outline. Try to find them when they land in sand or gravel and you may as well be hunting for that needle in a haystack. When they take off to fly though, they expose two large, pleated hind wings with a pale yellow area, edged with a black band - hence the name pallid-wing. Follow their flight as they advertise their presence, but watch closely, for when they land, poof they are gone from sight.

W

H E R E

Once landed, they change position, either facing back or to the side from whence they came. When disturbed, the new jump takes them not in a straight line but on a new path, thus escaping danger and hopefully confusing any predator trying to catch them.

The story of this particular population begins in late fall or winter when females lay eggs in the soil. As spring approaches, bringing to life the desert with plant growth, the eggs hatch and young appear, hungry and mobile. These young seek out grasses and forbs in the region, greedily feeding and growing towards adulthood. By April, these grasshoppers have become adults with wings ready to take them on a journey. The desert where they ate and developed is now probably somewhat barren, thus triggering flights to new lands promising food resources for the next generation.

These adults have been moving about the desert but now are stimulated to move at night, finding a bright

E X P E R I E N C E

12 Tubac Road Tubac, AZ

Gina Jarman 520-841-1843 2550 N. Camino Vista del Cielo

These adults will mate and find spots to lay eggs, starting a new generation when people may see young in June and July. In southern AZ, there may be two, three or more generations. These grasshoppers are found widely distributed throughout the western U.S. and Mexico, and display many different patterns of growth and distribution. We are fortunate in the Sonoran Desert to experience such an exciting event each April and May. Granted, they may exasperate people, but the hoppers are harmless, will not eat up all your plants and will be gone soon enough. Acts of Nature really are for your pleasure too.

I N T E G R I T Y

C O U N T

.

Property Management Services Now Available

Meg Flanders 520-603-8752 Magnificent Nogales Estate on 40 acres. 4 bedrms

12 Barrio de Tubac Lane Stunning Cielito Lindo Townhouse

4 baths 2 car garage. Hilltop property with an amazing panorama of mountain ranges. Sparkling pool overlooking the night lights of Nogales.

MLS #s 105067 & 38794. Call Gina for more information. Priced at $1,800,000.

Stunning Cielito Lindo Townhouse- 2077 sq. ft., 2 Story, 2 Bdr, 2 Bth, exercise room, den, views from balconies and east facing patio. This is an exceptional property with loads of extras. $400,000 MLS 10750, 41640, 20910365 Call Meg for more information.

Santa Fe Style Horse Property

2 Bdrm/2 Bth; Stunning 9.41 acre horse property in NE Rio Rico! Beautiful patios with views of the Tumacacori and the Santa Rita mountains; Custom floor plan; high wood-beamed ceilings and a fireplace in the living room. Priced at $248,000.

MLS: 41571/107587/20911444; Please call Gina or Natalie Jarman for more information.

A N D

light in the sky to direct their flight.

Unfortunately during this flight, they encounter the lights of cities, parking lots or athletic fields, which compete for their attention, eventually drawing them to the ground. These grasshoppers are now held like prisoners, not able to break free of the hold these lights have on them.

In the morning as the sun rises, and people ascend upon the city for work, the people are greeted by frantically jumping, flying grasshoppers, startled by these monsters and also the growing heat on asphalt from which they need to escape or die.

Soon this grasshopper population will have dispersed to shady spots eventually being drawn away from these inhospitable places, hopefully to resume their dispersal to new desert spots.

44 Agua Tranquila Fabulous Mediterranean

72 Avenida Pastor

2 Bdrm/2.5 Bth; Phenomenal buy!

Travertine tile/ mesquite & stone counter tops/ jetted tube; 10’ ceilings; great views; private master patio. Priced at $359,500.

MLS: 107444/2090/8975; Call Meg for more information.

Awesome entry gate

& adobe walls enclose this custom Hacienda on 36 acres. Spacious home & guest casita totaling 6433 sq.ft. 2 master suites, artist’s studio, theatre, maid’s quarters, study, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen. Under construction with ideal terrain & climate to make your dream complete: horse stables? pond? pool? MLS#s 105779 & 39602. Call Gina. Priced at $2,400,000.

SCOTT P. HARDEN, DESIGNATED BROKER 520-398-2962

42 Agua Tranquila , Mediterranean Cottage Well-priced 1 Bdrm/1 Bth with room to build larger home; travertine tile/ mesquite and stone counter tops; 10’ ceilings; great views; close to the Village of Tubac; Priced at $214,900. MLS: 107443/20908974; Call Meg for more information.

18

T u b a c ’ s A n z a M a r k e t , C a f é P r e s i d i o & C he f ’ s T a b l e R e s t a u r a n t

uspended in the big Arizona sky, the Hunter’s belt in S the Orion constellation is comprised of three shining stars. As in the Orion constellation, three “stars” come

plates of beer battered codfish with chips or fire roasted Anaheim chilies with strips of grilled chicken in a cream sauce. There is also a cozy little bar in the corner; from here the bartender, Brandy mixes drinks to everyone’s satisfaction and cheerfully pours wine and beer. Adding to the fun-filled atmosphere of a local gathering place and Brandy’s friendly service there is also live entertainment or Karaoke on Thursday and Saturday nights.

together in the Anza Plaza for convenient shopping, food and entertainment: the Anza Marketplace, the Café Presidio and the Chef ’s Table. Although these stars are not part of the celestial Hunter’s belt, they are nevertheless for hunters—hunters of food and entertainment in Tubac.

In the eyes of Harold Busboom, Operations Manager, there is a “synergy” uniting the three locations. Starting with the convenience of the Anza Marketplace, the gourmet/grocery store, to the Café Presidio, a friendly neighborhood-gathering place and then finishing with the unique dining experience of the Chefs’ Table, all brightly serve the needs of the Tubac area residents.

The final star in the constellation is the Chef ’s Table Restaurant adjacent to the Café Presidio.

Here guests can watch their food being prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen and savor the results in a stylish yet casual dining atmosphere. For food lovers like me, watching a professional, skillfully pan-sear a halibut filet on the stovetop, grill tender beef tenderloin or toast the top of crème brûlée in a ramekin, is an unqualified treat.

“We want to anchor ourselves in the community and be a part of it, not just a one-stop tourist shop,” Harold said, referring to some of the changes that have already taken place. The Anza Marketplace, our first star for example has expanded its inventory with approximately three thousand new items, most of which are basic household products for local residents while maintaining ninety percent of their gourmet specialty items.

The goal is to make the Anza Marketplace a destination for local shoppers continues to evolve. The wine section is expanding its selection of some wines from popular wineries and adding a number of “good valued wines,” Harold said, as well as expanding its already plentiful assortment of fine wines. Plans are also in the works to add more seafood and fresh fish. Customer Requests Clipboards placed throughout the store is another part of their continuing efforts to “listen” to the needs of the local community.

Located conveniently near the Tubac Golf Resort and the vacation residences of the Embarcadero; visitors and local residents alike can picnic on the Marketplace’s patio or selfcater at home with fresh made hot or cold take-out delights such as baked chicken or tender pork ribs, pasta salads, daily chef specials and much more.

Another star here, the Café Presidio, open everyday, serving breakfast, lunch and light dinner, is the all day gathering place to eat, sip and relax. In the morning, the breakfast menu’s star shines from 7:00AM to 11:00AM, offering many breakfast favorites, such as hot or cold cereals, a single egg or a breakfast

plate of eggs made to order with choices of crisp bacon, ham, chorizo, home fries and black beans. Other heartier breakfast specialties are buttermilk pancakes, a breakfast burrito, omelets with choice of stuffing’s and my favorite way to start the day, smoked salmon on a toasted bagel with cream cheese. A full selection of fresh baked pastries is available throughout the day, as are cappuccinos, lattes, espressos and regular and mocha coffees.

Later in the day, from11:00AM to 8:00PM, the Café’s fare turns to lunch and light dinner with an all-day menu that includes green salads and sandwiches, such as Ranchers Pulled Pork on a choice of hearty ciabatta bread or bun, a grilled vegetable sandwich on rosemary focaccia bread as well as individual sized thin-crusted pizza with a choice of toppings.

For light dinner after 6:00PM, there are steak entrees and

10am - 5pm

Building upon the existing synergy between the three stars, regular wine tasting events with food are on the horizon, Harold noted, as is an expanded menu for the Chef ’s Table Restaurant. Additional events, new merchandise and exciting menus are changing three stars into one glittering constellation for everyone to enjoy.

This evening, underneath the big Arizona sky our three stars, the Anza Marketplace, the Café Presidio and the Chef ’s Table will be shining brightly—look for them.

Anza Market (520)398-1010

Café Presidio (520)398-8503 Chef's Table (520)398-8501

24 Tubac Rd. Tubac, AZ

Furniture, Decor & Clothing

Open 7 days

Open-air kitchens are very trendy these days in many “theme” restaurants. Few if any approach the casual dining intimacy with the chef, as does the Chef ’s Table. Separated only by a shiny black granite countertop, my wife Linda and I, along with visitors from Washington State and Alaska and also Tucson residents spent a fun-filled evening observing Chef Paul La Valley, julienne, sauté, grill and plate our five-course dinner the other night at the Chef ’s Table. This unique culinary venue is also available for entertaining and out-of-the-ordinary private parties.

Sunrise Jewelers

ON TUBAC PLAZA

Quality Furniture Decor & Clothing

we buy estate Jewelry, scrap Gold, one-of-a-kind silver & Platinum custom Pieces highest Prices Paid diamond setting & remounting custom design large selection on-site Jewelry repairs of rare and while-you-wait unusual Gem stones 40 years of experience in the Jewelry and Gem stone Field Fine art

19

by Bernard Berlin

In the land of once-upon-a-time, there lived a man haunted by the beguiling flavors of a white wine. Much the same as Diogenes was obsessed with finding a truly “honest man”, our man searched and searched for a white wine to fulfill the captivating promises of Chardonnay. Lured by the prospect of savoring rich, creamy butterscotch and vanilla oak flavors he relentlessly pursued his quest.

Undaunted, his odyssey carried him to far away places that claimed to hold bottles and barrels of the prized Chardonnay.

Searching, ever searching throughout the vineyards, wineries and countless tasting rooms in California, Washington State and Oregon, he wearily trekked. Tired and tattered he journeyed onward, first to the far-off wine growing regions in France, then to the Coonawarra in Australia and finally to the remote island of New Zealand—all to no avail.

“Dionysus, the god of fertility and wine must have cursed me.”

He muttered aloud. Then, looking upward, drawing upon strength he did not know he still possessed, his eyes peering into the sky, he shouted. “How you mock me Dionysus, Oh how you mock me in my pursuit of the golden beauty that I seek. I have traveled far and I have tasted many wines, none of which is the Chardonnay that I crave. But, nevertheless, I have found wines that are better than Chardonnay! I have found wines from other grapes that are worthy of drinking with many dishes and…they delight my senses! I have found opulent wines… aromatic wines…and wines of singularity from other grapes. I have enjoyed many drinking pleasures that I longed for from Chardonnay in other white wines. I have reveled in the richness of Viognier, savored the maturity of Riesling and frolicked with the youthful crispness of Sauvignon Blanc. It is I who mock you Dionysus, from this day forth, with each sip of my “new” white wines.”

Now, the time has come for my confession. I am that man, who like Diogenes on his quest to find a truly honest man, have searched endlessly for a rich, creamy, and oaken Chardonnay with butterscotch and vanilla flavors. This has not been a trivial or whimsical pursuit on my part. For years, I have been trying to find a Chardonnay that would please my wife who prefers to drink good Scotch to my monomaniacal preference for wine. I have spent countless sums of money for Chardonnays that promise to meet her taste expectations of oak, vanilla and butterscotch flavors. To add to my dilemma she claims to have had such a Chardonnay in the past. As if this was not enough to compel me to satisfy her fancy, another man introduced it to her before she knew me. Now, not only is my knowledge of wine put to the test but also my male ego demands the discovery of that incomparable tasting Chardonnay.

Still another confession; I have yet to find this mythical tasting Chardonnay. In my vain search to match the taste of this other man’s Chardonnay, I have showered her with a collection of white wines that have all but dissolved her memory of “that” Chardonnay—or so she says.

Viognier, the Pearl of the Rhone Valley

This is my best find. It has nearly absolved my quest for Chardonnay. For many years the Viognier grape, blended with other grapes has been the hidden pearl of the luscious white wines from the Rhone Valley in France. On its own and unfettered by other grapes, Viognier coats the palate with the provocative, soothing texture of crème fraiche. Aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle waft from a glass full of this Rhone Valley jewel. A good and inexpensive example of Viognier from France is Viognier de Campuget.

In addition to the many French producers of white wines from the Rhone Valley, American producers known as the “Rhone Rangers” in Paso Robles California have unveiled Viognier as a grape of quality and distinction on its own. They too are also blending it with the other Rhone Valley grapes, Marsanne and Rousanne to produce lush white wines. Paso Robles producers to look for who are making sophisticated Rhone blends and Viognier varietals are; Tablas Creek, making a white Rhone blend with 59% Viognier called Cote de Tablas Blanc; also Anglim Winery, Clautier Vineyard and the Midnight Cellars Winery and Vineyards are producing Viogniers that are all full of flavors one hopes for in Chardonnay, with personalities of their own.

The Aristocratic Riesling

One of the four “noble grapes” Riesling deserves more attention than it receives as a versatile wine of distinction. It is one of the primary grapes of France and Germany’s common border area, once known as Alsace/Lorraine. They are age worthy wines, matured in wood barrels, tinting them with the color of pale dried straw. On the palate, Rieslings evoke the earthy flavors of stone fruits such as apricots and peaches. Always well balanced and comfortable with many lighter food dishes, this white wine can also age and reward your patience with uncommon flavors. From the French side of the Alsace border region, it is somewhat dry with medium body. The German versions

tend toward the sweeter side.

The Rieslings from Washington State and Oregon are inbetween the French and German offerings, not as dry as the French version and not as sweet as the German styles. Hogue Cellars in Washington State produces a delightful, young Riesling that coats the mouth with a patina of sugar that quickly dissolves from its mild apricot and peach fruit acids. It is a perfect compliment for that hard to pair curry dish as well as a friendly companion for summer greens with fruit or tuna fish salad. Discovering the many different variations of this noble grape will open up new vistas for food and wine pairings to anyone who makes the voyage.

Likeably Crisp Sauvignon Blanc

There is always something to like in Sauvignon Blanc. It is a light, young, crisp wine with an inner presence of lingering green apples. Good examples of a Sauvignon Blanc will be lean and trim, not fettered with too many aromas or taste sensations.

The producing countries of origin normally follow a stylistic pattern of how dry or how crisp the wine will be on the palate.

The Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre in France, for example will have a smooth finish and still maintain a crispness that will flatter fish dishes. The American version will be a little lighter in body and drier to taste. New Zealand’s versions tend to be lighter and drier still. All of these wines will still possess the basic underlying characteristics of green apple but some, other than the French, will also exhibit tropical fruit flavors similar to pineapple.

No matter which country of origin, Sauvignon Blanc is a perfectly refreshing summer wine with or without food. It also makes a great aperitif called, “Kir”. Just add one or two ounces of Crème de Cassis to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy the wonderful fruity acids of the wine mingling with the rich creamy texture of the Crème de Cassis.

Like Diogenes and haunted by the specter of “that” Chardonnay I will remain in the land of once-upon-a-time, forever searching for that incomparable taste. Until then I take heart in the delightful pleasures of other white wines.

Bernard Berlin, Sommelier

Berlin5374@msn.com

Rental or Lease Option EXCELLENT VALUE AT $995,000 Stunning rammed earth home with abundance of natural woods.

Low care landscaping, security gate, guest house.

BEST BUY LOT IN M.S.R! 36 acres spectacular views, underground utilities. BUY NOW, BUILD LATER $289,000 BROKER OWNED PROPERTIES: Best Value in Tubac Valley C.C., Lot 54. 1.20 acres. Only $129,000. Terms possible.

DOWNTOWN OLD BISBEE

Two 1890’s adobes.

Formal gardens, plenty of parking. Both houses for $275,000. Terms possible.

Commercial Building with residence i n d o w n t o w n Tu b a c , 6 3 0 0 S . F. $ 8 9 0 k

Howard Bach, Broker 520-360-0285 or 520-398-3277

7 Camino Otero

1 (800) 255-2306

by Carol Egmont St. John

Spring Has Sprung

The ocotillo waves its red flags as wild birds of paradise open their petals. Their yellows and reds shimmer in springtime’s grace. We didn’t invite these wonders to our yard; they just gave themselves to us--two more reminders of nature’s remarkable gifts. Skies blow hot then cold to spread the fragrance of jasmine and desert lily, coneflowers and gayfeathers.

It is heady stuff for a spirit that has longed for winter’s browns to be erased. And the color arrives just when the masses exit for points north like Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Gone are the people who have invested in warm waves of neutral comfort for the winter months, just when the desert rises in a cacophony of color and song.

I can’t help but feel they are leaving too soon, missing the resurgence of life in the desert, one of the miracles of the earth. It is awesome to see what has been lying dormant for months, years and sometimes decades. No matter how much biology, zoology, entomology or botany we may study, tests and facts can’t do justice to the reality of this yearly emergence. It is no wonder that metaphoric descriptions are left to the artists.

Spring

By Mary Oliver

Specializing in Southwestern, Traditional & Antique quilts of investment quality.

Somewhere a black bear has just risen from sleep and is staring

down the mountain.

All night in the brisk and shallow restlessness of early spring

I think of her, her four black fists flicking the gravel, her tongue

like a red fire touching the grass, the cold water.

There is only one question:

how to love this world.

I think of her rising like a black and leafy ledge to sharpen her claws against the silence of the trees.

Whatever else

You see? It takes a poem to tell the story.

Or music. For the musically attuned, listen to Robert Schumann’s First Symphony, Opus #38 where the joy of spring’s promise is expressed. Or consider Beethoven’s Sonata #5, known as the Spring Sonata, and hear how he expressed the season’s lacey delicacy.

After Igor Stravinsky composed The Rites of Spring, the French took it un pas de deux further and choreographed the famous ballet, Le Sacre du Printemp. It’s as relevant now as it was in 1913 because seasons summon universal feelings.

Not only have artist’s have toyed with the joy of spring for the millenniums, so have worshippers. Spring’s celebrations can be traced throughout time and cultures.

Vestiges of the Roman Empire’s maypoles are still found in England and Wales and in rural eastern Europe.

In Bohemia and Transylvania, strawmen, (homemade effigies of death) were burned and tossed in local water to exorcise winter and make way for new life. So, too, was spring heralded in the Greek days of Ànoixis (the Opening), and Roman greetings to the goddess, Florilia,

S

tables

my life is with its poems and its music and its cities,

it is also this dazzling darkness coming down the mountain, breathing and tasting;

all day I think of her -— her white teeth, her wordlessness, her perfect love.

with garlands and wreaths and communities rejoicing.

Today we send lilies, chocolate eggs and stuffed bunnies to remind us of the season’s sweetness and fertility. We, like the ancients, need to celebrate. Our traditions are still about life, about the birds and the bees and rebirth.

About the frog who leaps from stone to stone, the new shoots of an old agave, both miracles of survival and resurrection.

Life pushes at us. I hear it in the buzzing of new insects, the cooing and cawing of the birds, the drone of massive trucks carrying food north, to places where the growing season has just begun.

This uproar of nature’s business does not contradict my quiet reflections. Rather, it feeds my spirit, as does the ant hill’s sides slowly rising, testimony to the industry of these little creatures who somehow know their purpose.

I cannot help but recognize how little we really know about the workings of things, the seen and the unseen, and the profound meaning inherent in it all. I will remain forever grateful for the sonata, the dance, the painting and the poem and their noble mirrors of the magic.

Serving Daily 6:30 am~10pm

Stables Ranch Grille evokes Tubac’s Spanish past in its cuisin and atmosphere. The restaurant, formerly stables for Spanish ranchers in the New World, is nestled below the Santa Rita Mountains and among lush cottonwoods on the Santa Cruz River.

520~398~2678

Both Restaurants located at the Tubac Golf Resort

Comida Mexicana

Authentic Regional Mexican Cuisine with a blend of New World Ingredients.

Serving Lunch & Dinner Daily 11am~9pm

  

1 Otero Rd. Tubac, AZ

www.TubacGolfResort.com

Letter from Africa

21

Located in

La Entrada next to the

How earthquakes relate to my local hot springs

by Tim Vandervoet

Every so often I am fortunate enough to be blessed with an earthquake.

Malawi lies as a mountainous nation clinging to the edge of the Great Rift Valley, and the continual shuffling of it will every so often give us tremors and slight earthquakes.

I say that I'm blessed for a few reasons, but it is easy to express it this way when the quakes are never serious and they affect a country that is built primarily of mud and thatch. True, when I'm in the city, the buildings rumble and car alarms go off, but I'm rarely in the city, and it's hard for me to remember it as I sit far away from ‘civilization.’

They wake me up at night sometimes, making me jump out of bed in a stupor. Tin roofs rattle around my neighbourhood and my friends joke self-deprecatingly about hiding under their beds. Sometimes, unless you are quiet and still, you can't even notice the quakes and will only be told of them the following day – as though a secret ceremony passed right under your feet. I am, as a rule, always disappointed when I miss them.

Of course, they are still something exotic to me - painless and timid. I haven't lived through their ruin and destruction and so I can't comprehend them fully. They are just one facet of life here, different from many others, but they still link me to home and the Southwest.

The Great Rift Valley runs from Jordan to South Africa and is an extension of the African Continental Plate – a diversion where the Somalian Sub plate meets the in the Nubian Sub plate. As the sub plates push and pull away from each other, they tug at the African Plate and have, in this way, created the Great Rift Valley. Consequently, I am given these tremors to enjoy.

They've also created extensive mountain ranges and valleys, isolated volcanic mountains like Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro, and they've created hot springs throughout this stretch of the continent.

The Great Rift connects us in a lot of ways – it's the site of multiple fossil finds documenting human evolution, and has even been theorized as a possible stimulus in evolution. It is the remnant of continental drift that once connected all landmasses, the latest act of a drama that has stretched aeons.

For me, though, it's ultimately expressed in the multiple hot springs that run up and down it. There are few of them in the northern and central part of Malawi – in Rumphi and Nkhota Kota, but recently I found one in (very literally) my back yard. The town I live in is Liwonde, set on the banks of the Shire River. My neighbourhood is Mawira – the Chichewa word for boiling. I'd always imagined previously that it referred to the hot and humid summer temperatures, but now I've learned that it actually recognizes a handful of hot springs that come out at the edge of the river, divided by the railway bridge, a few hundred yards from my house.

They were developed at one time - built into bath houses and frequented by many people. Segregated into white, Indian, and Malawian sections at the time, they've now fallen into disrepair.

What are left are just a few ruins and small pools where people still go to bathe and wash their clothes to this day, a testament to the ephemeral legacy of civilization's forward march.

Pangea, the super continent, brought us together something near 400 million years ago when the continents collided.

After some time it began to break up and drifting, where the continents have led us to today. Even now it is still going, forming the Great Rift that I live in – the mountains that I climb and the hot springs I enjoy. And the same continental drift, on the other side of the planet, formed the Sonora River Valley hot springs and mountain ranges I used to hike.

(Editor’s Note: Tim Vandervoet grew up in Tubac. He has been working in Malawi, Africa, since March 2006, first in the Peace Corps and now with the Clinton Foundation.)

Hi - will you please let Ruth how much I enjoy her monthly recipes and wit. It's so fun to see what she has to say. Her articles are written in such an upbeat manner. Also I do try many of the recipes and enjoy them. I hope she can continue her column for years to come. ~Carol Shelton, Tubac

HERBS • HERBALS • HOMEOPATHICS Visitors’ HEALTHY FOOD • NATURAL GIFTS • YARD ART Center

Soup/Salad to Go Healthy Snacks Hot/Iced Teas

10AM - 4PM Thursday through Monday

Sharon L. Sevara

\

520-398-9565

www.yardwoman.com

The Tubac Villager will have special rates this summer.

Please contact Joseph at 520-398-3980 for more information

Gift Baskets, Gift Certificates & Gift Sets Available

Village Counseling Christine A. Bates, Ph.D Licensed Psychologist Adult Psychotherapy for Individuals and Couples, focusing on change, transition, recovery, and growth For information or to schedule an appointment, call

520.820.1678

22

The Frugal Gourmand of Tubac

MONDAY - FRIDAY 8 am - 5 pm

y brands of fi ne c h m an

r il i u

3 f

1 94

Well known since

p

ces and spices. sau cts, du ro

o or

SAT 10 am - 3 pm

Give the gift of the Southwest

Gourmet Spices • Cookbooks • Gift Ideas Visit our Ranch Museum 3 Miles South of Tubac.

(Just south of Tumacacori National Monument.)

Closed Sundays & Holidays

AMADO R.V. 520.398.8003 & S e l f-StORA ge •CODeD gAte ACCeSS DAily •SeCuRity CAMeRAS •fRee DiSC lOCk •BOxeS & MOVing SupplieS

•StORe RV’S, CARS, BOAtS & tRAileRS

new customers - Pay for the FIRST month

& the SECOND month is FREE!

I-19 exit 42 or 48

Do you have items you’d like to sell on

ebay?

Collectibles, memorabilia or the like! ������������������������������������������ ������������������������������ ���������������������������

Mike Bader

398-2437 cell 370-7239

Tubac Online Sales

Internet Auction Consignments email: TubacOnlineSales@att.nett

A Trilogy for Enticing Meals and Snacks

by Bernard Berlin

The culinary secret to making delicious, inexpensive meals is in the sauce! Every chef has their own secret weapon that brings out the best in all their meals. Some drizzle expensive truffle oil on the food for added flavor right before serving, others may have a secret spice or ingredient that they use. Most successful chefs simply spoon-on fresh made, delectable sauces to turn ordinary food into memorable dishes. Rich and savory, succulent sauces also turn boring leftovers into sumptuous epicurean creations, enliven raw vegetable plates and change plain grilled fare into gourmet meals.

The purpose of a sauce is not to mask or disguise the taste of food. Its task is to enliven or enhance the flavor of food or offset it with a countering flavor, such as sweet and savory food combinations. Here are three different, unique and easyto-make sauces that will impress your friends and family with your culinary expertise.

Garlic Lovers Sauce or Dip

Fresh garlic is a great, natural seasoning that makes almost any dish or food taste better. I have added sautéed garlic to fresh cooked spinach, crushed it into omelets and used whole cloves to add more flavor to chicken stock. I do not know of any food or recipe where garlic would not improve its taste— except perhaps crème brûlée.

The following garlic sauce is not just for garlic lovers; everyone appreciates a flavorful, tangy condiment with their food. There are two ways to make this sauce. The first is for the brave-hearted who love the taste of spicy tangy garlic.

The second version is a softer more approachable garlic sauce.

Either way this sauce is a perfect dip for raw vegetables, a spread for cold chicken sandwiches, leftover meats and other poultry or as a condiment for whatever your taste buds fancy.

Ingredients

8-10 cloves of crushed garlic ½ teaspoon of salt 1 egg

3 teaspoons of fresh lemon 1 cup of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or food processor. Then with the blender or processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Note, as with making fresh mayonnaise the olive oil should be poured into the blender or processor very slowly to incorporate all the ingredients.

The amount of raw garlic determines just how tangy the sauce will be. One way to keep the garlic flavor and reduce its natural spicy taste is to first sauté the garlic cloves until they are light brown in color and then crush them for the sauce.

The finished sauce is a heavy, creamy emulsion of pungent garlic and lush olive oil. It is perfect as a dip or a spread for sandwiches. My wife Linda loves to spoon a dollop onto her omelet and also dip her steamed broccoli into it. No matter how the garlic lover’s sauce is used, it will energize any food it accompanies.

Savory Green Sauce for Fish or Seafood

This is one of my favorite sauces. I first tasted it in an enclave of Portuguese restaurants in Newark, New Jersey; know as the “Ironbound” section of Newark. Green Sauce is a delicious mélange of onions, garlic and parsley simmered in white wine and stock or clam juice.

Savory Green Sauce is the perfect accompaniment for almost any broiled, grilled, fried or poached fish or seafood. It is a

great flavor enhancer for broiled catfish, filet of sole or any fish that does not have much flavor on its own.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour depending on desired consistency ¼ cup of finely chopped onions 3-6 cloves of minced garlic, to taste preference

1 cup of chopped fresh parsley no stems ½ cup of inexpensive white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc ½ cup of fish stock or broth or clam juice

In a sauce pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are soft but not brown. Slowly add the flour, constantly stirring the mixture to keep it from lumping.

(This mixture of oil and flour is the basis for most sauces.

Once the technique is mastered, a whole new world of wonderful sauces will grace your table.) Now slowly pour in the white wine followed by the fish stock, broth or clam juice while stirring constantly with a wired whisk or wood spoon.

Be sure that all the liquids are room temperature before adding to the onion, and garlic mixture of olive oil and flour.

Now add the chopped parsley and simmer on a very low flame or heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until a thick and creamy consistency is reached.

This is a tasty, easy to make sauce. Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic and onions to your personal preference (the more the better).

Romanesco Sauce

This is an ancient sauce dating back to Spain’s Roman past, hence the name “Romanesco”. The basic ingredients are peppers, toasted almonds and garlic, of course. This version can be as hot or as sweet as the mood or taste buds desire. I love it with eggplant and zucchini grilled on the barbecue.

I also use this sauce as a tasty background for dramatic presentations by coating a serving plate or dish with the bright colored Romanesco sauce then placing food, such as grilled pork chops on top of it.

Ingredients

1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped ½ dried red chili pepper, seeded 1 cup of water ½ cup of red wine vinegar or tarragon flavored vinegar ¾ cup of olive oil

2 slices of French bread, ¼ inch thick 1 large fresh tomato chopped 36 blanched then lightly toasted almonds (about 2 ounces) 6 cloves of chopped garlic Salt

In a sauce pan bring the water and vinegar to a boil and add the red pepper and dried chili pepper. Bring to a boil again and simmer for about five more minutes. Drain and cool the peppers on the side. In a fry pan, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil and sauté the bread slices until golden brown. If the oil is not hot the bread will absorb the oil and not toast up and may burn. Remove the toasted bread slices and sauté the chopped tomato until soft in the remaining oil. When all the “cooked” peppers and bread slices are room temperature place them in a food processor with the remaining oil from the fry pan, if any, and the additional ½ cup of oil with the almonds and garlic and blend all the ingredient together until it is a coarse sauce with tiny bits and pieces.

Any of theses sauces will add style and grace to almost any food they accompany. Which secret weapon will you employ tonight?

Enjoy!

Mindhance Holistic Learning Center is an Online Certification program offering 30

credit hour certifications in Holistic Mental Health Coaching, Holistic Grief Coaching, or Professional Mediation. These comprehensive programs are fully accredited by the AADP (American Association of Drugless Practitioners). Enhance your career or begin a new career today. Go to http://www.mindhancelearning.com and learn about these exciting new programs.

Mention this ad and get $150.00 off tuition.

I ponder as I wander from bedroom chair to dining table chair in my teeny

Fact and Food

I shan’t mention the peanut butter cookies(without flour), my daughter Claire said you might think I’m in with the peanut butter company, of course I’m not, they are good though aren’t they?

I used to buy bottom round beef roast to make minestrone cassoulet’, and other beef dishes, I’ve been buying stewing beef now for a long time and am pleased with the flavor and price.

Quick and Easy Sloppy Joe 2lbs. ground beef 1 chopped onion 6 stalks celery 1 green pepper

Brown meat with diced onion, celery and green pepper, add salt and pepper and last 4 ingredients. Serve in warm hamburger buns.

Trim fat from beef in one package of stewing beef, usually one to two pounds, put in baking dish with one envelope dry onion or mushroom soup mix and 2 c. water, mix.

Cover tightly with foil and bake in 250 degree oven for three hours. Cut in bite size pieces when tender and use in recipe: Cassoulet’ 2 lbs. cooked beef pieces 8 slices bacon, cut up ½ lb. sausage 1 box

2 tbl. vinegar 2 tbl. sugar 1 tbl. mustard 1 ½ c. catsup

mushrooms 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic 1 can red kidney beans 1 c. red wine

Saute sliced onion with bacon and garlic, when bacon is crisp, add beef and wine and mushrooms, simmer 20 min. Make meatballs from the sausage the size of marbles, sauté till done, drain and add to rest of ingredients in baking dish. Let marinate overnight in ice box.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour before serving, over rice is very good.

tiny house on wheels, it took me 10 seconds to wander from chair to chair, that’s all it took, I then decided to share with you the wonder of my birds, yours too, and this is only May, just think what’s ahead!

I bird watch at the dining table window and bedroom window. The grosbeak congregate at bedroom feeder window, 10 and 12 at a time, male, female and little ones, when there’s no room at that inn they come to dining window feeders. The orioles love the hummer feeder and the oranges, they empty the sugar water feeders along with the hummers in several days.

The orioles are so handsome in their orange and black, they look freshly painted every day, not to be outdone, the grosbeak are striking also, I’m utterly in awe as I watch them feed, this goes on from dawn to dusk.

The yellow and purple finch are at the feeders all day, side and back, they never cease their chatter.

The cardinals prefer the back feeder, the grosbeak make room for them and they’re happy.

The woodpeckers have their own oranges, their acrobatics amaze me. The white crown sparrows and ring neck doves are ground feeders and when the quail zip by for a morsel and zip away they never flinch.

I just wander from window to window, amazed at the sounds and colors and activity so near to me, I thank God for this privilege I have. I move about a foot and I’m in my test kitchen, all the better to serve you, I make all recipes before I share, I just heard that our people in the United States consumed 10 million pounds of sugar last year. I shall use less sugar! We’ll all feel better!

Speaking of birds, Willie Armijo at the Community Center says the swallows did get their building plan approved and have begun work at the library wall. Welcome home!

They are rather slow, could be the heat.

If your ends justify the jeans dress Western!

FOR LEASE RETAIL SPACE

Short, Short Shortcake

2 c. flour 4 tsp. B. P. ½ tsp. salt ¼ c. sugar

¼ c. melted butter 1/3 c. milk 1 egg, beaten

Mix all ingredients together, roll into ½ inch round, cut with biscuit cutter, bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Split biscuit, butter cover with strawberries, top with other half, more strawberries, then whipped cream.

Have several cups strawberries hulled and cut up, crush with potato mashed, add sugar to taste.

Sherry Cake 1 yellow cake mix 4 eggs 1 tsp. nutmeg

1 S u i t e A v a i l a b l e Jan Fox at 1296 sq ft 520-405-3131

Tired of Living With Low Back Pain?

½ c. oil ¾ c. sherry

Mix well, pour batter into greased tube pan, bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Frost with butter cream icing flavored with almond extract, about ½ tsp. or sprinkle xxxx sugar over top. Quick, easy and very good. Nice with strawberries too.

*Spinal "Spinal Decompression Decompression Cost Eliminated Eliminated Cost when combined when combined with Physical with Physical Therapy."

Therapy

Lorin Jacobson 520.975.8469

fax 520.398.3907 P.O. Box 4599 Tubac, AZ 85646

23

Lumbar Decompression DecompressionTherapy Therapy Lumbar TMis (LDT™) (LDT ) isa anon-surgical non-surgicalprocedure procedure thatrelieves relievesacute acute chronic that oror chronic lowlow backpain painassociated associated with: back with: HerniatedDisk Disc •• Herniated FacetSyndrome Syndrome •• Facet DegenerativeJoint Joint Disease •• Degenerative Disease Sciatica •• Sciatica SpinalStenosis Stenosis •• Spinal

LDT™ has saved thousands of people from low back pain without surgery.

Call us today to find out if you are a candidate for LDTTM

License No. ROC239369

JacobsonHomes.com jacobsonhomes@yahoo.com

520-207-9345 Lordex Spine Center

101 S. La Canada Ste. 47 in the Green Valley Mall

Tubac Community Center serves dozens of uses It wasn’t designed to be a community center, but the building which has served that purpose in Tubac for the past 10 years is welcoming and comfortable.

Meetings about topics of general interest to the community are held there frequently. There’s a public library branch and a weekly senior citizen lunch program provided there. Yoga, exercise and art classes for all ages have been offered over the years.

The Tubac Community Center at 50 Bridge Rd., just north of the shopping village, is an outstanding asset. It’s owned by Santa Cruz County and managed by the board of the nonprofit Tubac Community Center Foundation.

Outdoors, there’s a baseball field, basketball court, drinking fountain and tree-shaded picnic tables on the center’s north and east sides.

Lil Hunsaker, president of the foundation board, said, “The center is a vital part of our community.

“We operate on a miniscule budget, spending about $5,000 to $6,000 a year, all of that coming from donations, since by county dictate, we can't charge for anything.”

The foundation made donations last Christmas of $1,000 to United Way of Santa Cruz County, $500 to the Amado Food Bank, and $500 to the Santa Cruz Council on Aging, she said.

“We are always open to suggestions about how the community center might be better utilized to serve the people of our community,” Hunsaker said.

3 years to establish

There was some drama and upheaval before all this took shape.

Loretta Lewis, a Tubac resident since 1975, led a crusade that resulted in the center becoming a public building in December 1998. The building opened in 1964 as Tubac Elementary School for grades 1-8.

But in 1995, the governing board of Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 decided to close Tubac School after a successful bond election allowed the district to build additional classrooms in Rio Rico. That reduced travel time for students and lowered bus costs too.

The building’s future was up in the air, and it could have been sold to a private organization. After three years of lobbying by many who joined with Lewis, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors agreed to buy the building and land from School District No. 35 for $450,900.

In addition to meetings, fire department and Census Bureau training classes are held at the community center; it’s the home of the Tubac Historical Society; the Tubac Chamber of Commerce has a business office there; blood drives and flu shots clinics are set up; and the annual shoe give-away by local Rotary clubs in December is based there.

Hunsaker said that volunteers are always welcome. As well, they’re looking for any individuals who would consider being a member of the board of directors. She especially singled out the husband and wife team of Dana and Bonnie Long for their years of dedicated volunteer service to help the center do well.

Senior citizen lunches

Benefits for senior citizens are substantial. Following the Thursday senior citizen lunch is a weekly distribution from the

Amado Food Bank at 1 p.m. Also connected to the program is low-cost van transportation for senior citizens. Willie Armijo will drive those who need it to doctor’s appointments, to pick up prescriptions, and for other related purposes. He said he takes passengers from the Tubac area to Wal-Mart every other Tuesday and wants people to sign up in advance for those trips.

There’s no set fee but donations for gas expense are accepted.

The 15-passenger van is provided by the Santa Cruz Council on Aging and individuals must register with the council for transportation. Armijo can be contacted at (520) 398-2191.

Armijo said that he’s brought 15,000 pounds of food to the community center from the food bank in the past six years. It saves a drive for senior citizens, some of whom don’t have a vehicle.

One of the rooms at the center contains a variety of donated health aids such as crutches, walkers, wheelchairs and raised toilet seats. Those can be borrowed and checked out at no cost, Hunsaker said.

Varied interest groups benefit

Other groups which use the community center include Friends of the Santa Cruz River, Montessori de Santa Cruz for state AIMS tests and “trike-a-thons,” Girls Scouts, Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council, Search and Rescue, Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts, Tubac Center of the Arts, and various homeowners’ associations.

Santa Cruz County makes use of the facilities too. For example, those include court sessions by the District 1 Justice of the Peace, planning and zoning, flood control, public works, a sheriff ’s office for paperwork, and a polling place for elections. The supplemental food program, WIC, is held at the center.

Various state agencies such as the attorney general’s office and staff members from Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s office meet with constituents at the center.

Hunsaker said the foundation has paid for bleachers for the ball field, fans for the large meeting room and shared costs with the county for safer and updated lighting. “Currently, we're looking at ways we can fund some energy savings devices.

We're also looking into purchasing storage containers so that our space in the building is utilized for people-centered activities, not storage,” she said.

In addition to Hunsaker, members of the Tubac Community Center Foundation Board are Nancy Lilley, vice president; Dana Long, treasurer; Judy Rogers, secretary; and directors Carol Cullen, Bruce Pheneger, Willie Armijo, Buck Clark, Herb Wisdom and Ernie Martan.

The branch of the Nogales-Santa Cruz County Public Library is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For information on activities or to become a volunteer, contact the community center, which is open Monday through Friday, at (520) 398-1800.

EXIT 34

Old Town

99 La Paloma de Tubac 398-9231

98 Tubac Villager 398-3980

97 St. Ann’s Church

Tubac Plaza

52 Out of the Way Galleria 398-9409

51 Jane’s Attic 398-9301

Tubac Road

82 Old Presidio Traders

Plaza Road 48 Casa Maya de Mexico

398-9333

70 Sunrise Jewelers

398-3933

398-1121

46 La Viña

65 Casa Maya de Mexico

398-8142

398-3933

41 Tubac Center of the Arts

64 Long Realty Tubac

398-2371

398-2962

40 Heir Looms

60 Brasher Real Estate, Inc.

398-2369

398-2506

Mercado de Baca

Camino Otero

Plaza de Anza

38 Quilts Ltd.

78 Shelby’s Bistro

6 Anza de Tubac, LLC

37 Tubac Online Sales

75 TJ's Tortuga Books & Coffee Beans

7 Emmy’s Pilates Studio

398-8075

800-255-2306

398-2437

398-8700

398-8109

36 Roberta Rogers Studio

398-3323

8 Josef ’s Salon

979-4122

398-0900

5 The Artist’s Palate 398-3333

4 Tubac Ranch 398-8381

La Entrada

3 Café Presidio 398-8503

24 Visitor’s Center 23 Tumacookery

2 The Chef ’s Table Restaurant

398-2070

398-9497

398-8501

22 Yard Woman

1 Anza Marketplace

398-9565

398-1010

21 Dr. Brian Kniff, DDS 398-8408

21 Feminine Mystique 398-0473

15 Casa Fina de Tubac 398-8620

Along the Frontage Road, South Santa Cruz Chili Co

this month’s advertisers outside of the Village

SERVICES

Along the Frontage Road, North Dos Silos Mexican Cuisine Realty Executives, Bill Mack

Fiesta Tours

520-398-9705

First United Realty

800-726-0100

Realty Executives, Charlie Meaker

Howard Bach, Broker

520-398-3277

Realty Executives, Sally Robling

Jacobson Custom Homes

520-975-8469

Ken Michael, Art Framing

520-398-2214

Village Counseling

520-820-1678

Stables Ranch Grille Tubac Golf Resort and Spa

Wisdom’s Café

520-398-2591

520-398-3787 520-398-2770 text: Tubac Team to: 48696 520-237-2414 text: Tubac Charlie to: 48696 520-398-2222 text: Tubac Team to: 48696 520-398-2678 520-398-3545 text: Tubac Spa to: 48696

520-398-2397 48696

text: Tubac Wisdoms to:

North of Tubac Amado RV & Self Storage

520-398-8003

Kristofer’s Bistro

520-625-0331

Long Realty, Cha Cha Donau

520-591-4982

Lordex Spine Center

520-207-9345

Ventana Mortgage

520-885-9594

Cropper’s Auto Center

South of Tubac 520-281-2438

Tubac Villager Advertiser Map drawing by Roberta Rogers. Provided as a courtesy by the Tubac Villager. Information edited by the Tubac Villager.

This map is an artistic rendering of the Village of Tubac and Tubac Villager supporting advertisers of May ‘09. Unlisted map structures may be active businesses.

Work in progress. For questions or comments call: 520-398-3980

26

A Taste of Tubac More Than a Taste

by Bernard Berlin

I

n the twilight of a beautiful April day, a new standard was born for “Taste of ” events in food and entertainment. The seventh annual “Taste of Tubac” hosted by the Tubac Rotary Club was a not-to-be missed happening of fun, food and entertainment. Normally, “taste-of ” events such as this are run-of-the mill experiences but pleasant ways to support praiseworthy community programs. However, this Taste of…, generously contributed to by local area restaurants, also elevated the concept to a delightful culinary adventure.

Nestled in the panoramic Tubac Presidio State Park, along the Anza Trail, with the majestic Santa Rita and Tumacacori mountain ranges outlining the horizon against a clear azure sky; more than four hundred people streamed in for an early evening of entertainment and a Taste of Tubac. Local chefs and restaurateurs sliced and served their specialties from the twelve glistening, white canopy party tents, conveniently aligned in an ell shaped arrangement. Contributing to this festive atmosphere, the very lively and melodic sounds of the All Bill Band, with Mindy Rondstadt singing a medley of country western, folk and pop favorites, breezed through the air of the park grounds to everyone’s delight.

The star attraction of the afternoon was the food. For the price of admission, visitors to the Taste of Tubac were able to enjoy what would be an elegant gourmet meal, if plated in a restaurant. As a starter or appetizer, Stables Ranch Grill served a fresh, compressed Arugula and Manchego Cheese salad, topped with dried cherries, candied pecans, and Fuji apples with a Pistachio Nut Vinaigrette dressing.

As an alternative to the salad or with it, there was sliced tuna sashimi that was “fork tender” and perfectly seasoned

Serving Santa Cruz County Since 1989 “Your largest asset

should be the strongest.

Build your foundation today with us!”

Purchase • Refinance • Construction • And More David Hrncirik (800) 333-8262 (520) 885-9594 ventanamortgage.com

with a touch of cumin. For a main course, Shelby’s Bistro carved, cooked-to-a-turn, tender slices of roasted beef and spooned out portions of delicate lobster ravioli squares with a creamy curry sauce.

Topping off this gourmet menu, Paul Trautman, owner of the Tubac Deli and Coffee Co., dished out heaping slices of fresh-made and luscious chocolate banana pie, flawlessly flavored key lime pie and juicy apple pie wedges to dessert lovers.

Enthusiasts of traditional southwestern fare were also able to merrily munch the evening away on succulent pulled pork with cranberry polenta squares from the Café Presidio, tangy beef tamales from Don Silos Mexican Restaurant, tender beef enchiladas, courtesy of The Artist’s Palate and hearty chili and cornbread from the Cow Palace of Amado. Rounding off this culinary cornucopia was the Tumacacori restaurant, Wisdom’s Café, serving their “world famous fruit burro dessert,”generously stuffed with tender apples or peaches.

Other delicious edibles served in different tents were spinach and sun dried tomato wraps from the Anza Marketplace, veggie wraps by Kristofer’s Bistro, of Amado and a shrimp and lobster wrap prepared by Rex Ranch, also from Amado. To wash down all of this flavorful fare a selection of international wines flowed into everyone’s glasses all through the evening.

Adding to the merriment of the music, food and wine a silent auction raised additional funds by selling beautiful, original works of art, large colorful posters, handmade ceramics and much more, all generously donated by the community.

The Tubac Rotary is a small group of dedicated volunteers committed to helping those who need help. All of the proceeds from the Taste of Tubac, after expenses, go back to the community into programs that help those in need. The fifteen members of the Rotary receive no compensation for their time and effort; making the most of the money raised available to help others. With proceeds from previous Taste of Tubac benefits, the Tubac Rotary contributed over $4,000 to local scholarships,

Feminine Mystique Art Gallery

La Entrada de Tubac 520•398•0473 www.FemaleArtGallery.com Femi9Mystique@AOL.com Representing Local, National & Internationally Recognized Female Artists

helped the community food banks, such as the one in Amado, financed international student exchange programs to “bring the world together” as Charles Miller, the Vice President of the Tubac Rotary, said during our interview.

One year, as part of the exchange program, local students went to live with families in China and Chinese students lived here with members of the Tubac Rotary. Another year, students from India attended and graduated Rio Rico High School as part of the student exchange program. I, for one, do not know of a better way for our children to gain a better understanding of the world than by living with other families in different countries. Such exchange programs also help people from other countries better understand our way of life. Overall, student exchange programs are win-win situations for everyone and well worth the money—bravo Tubac Rotary.

This year’s Rotary fundraiser was “more” than a just Taste of Tubac. The festivities were an expression of the community’s goodwill and generosity towards those who need your help. This event is “reservations only” with limited “seating” and usually sells out quickly. Next year mark your calendars early and partake in another— Taste of Tubac! Do not miss this event next April!

Private Culinary Classes,

choose from 13 different cuisines that span 13 countries, great price, good company, great wine tasting included. Enjoy Chef Charles’ Passion, Romance, and simple, original recipes

Thomas’ Blue Room Gallery Wild Walleye Fridays

27

continued from page 7...

grandchildren? Titles of the 13 classes are: From Showboat to Spelling Bee: The American Musical Comedy; Formation of the Modern Middle East; Passages: Support and Education in End of Life Issues; Current Events – Advanced Civics; NonFiction Addiction: The World Without Us; Health Care Reform: A Snap Shot; The Life and Lines of Dorothy Parker; Shakespeare from Page to Stage: The Tempest; UnSpun: Finding Facts in the World of Disinformation; Dinosaurs: Do Your Grandkids Know More Than You Do?; Web 2.0: The Brave New World of Blogs, Wikis and “Tweets”; Films to Cool You Off; Reaching Across the Generations.

Study groups will meet weekly for 1½ hours, either from 1:30 to 3 p.m. or from 3:30 until 5 p.m Part of a nationwide, university-affiliated program for adults over 50 who love learning, OLLI/GV membership is open to residents of Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tubac and neighboring communities.

For current OLLI/GV members there is no additional cost to enroll in the June study groups.

For new members, the fee for the June program is $40. Class sizes are limited, registration deadline is May 22. Call (520) 626-9039 or ollimail@u. arizona.edu

Tues, June 16th thru July 9th - Tubac Center of the Arts Summer Arts Program.

Students ages 6 through 15 will be able to take classes in drawing, painting, mask-masking, collage, printmaking, music, drama and more!

Cost is $195 for 4 weeks or $110 for 2 weeks. Call 520-398-2371 for registration materials or more information.

speakers, organic gardening lectures, camping, food, and culminating with a Sacred Global CosmoPop Concert by Gabriel of Urantia and his Bright & Morning Star Band. For info & directions www.futurestudios.org or call (520) 398-2542.

Fri thru Sun, June 19 - 21 - 1st Annual Tubac / Tumacacori Music Festival Weekends. FREE; Reciprocation by Contribution Appreciated. A 3-day festival with concerts, films,

Send your event to the Tubac Villager, P.O. Box 4018, Tubac, AZ 85646.

Or send us an email at tubacvillager@mac.com.

*All offers on approved credit, plus tax and lic. Dealer retains all rebates, monthly payments at 6.25% APR. O.A.C. for 72 months with $4,000 cash down or trade equity, except on 09 Traverse and Tahoe which is 7.0% APR for 84 months. Promotion ends 5/31/09. Payment protection plan provided by General Motors and Cynosure Financial, INC. *Ask Dealer for details.

Celebrating 30 Years in Tubac!

IT’S A BUYER’S MARKET! There are over 100 resale homes listed for sale in Tubac,

at prices ranging from $159,900 to a cool $8 Million! The Owners are waiting anxiously for your offer! Give me a call, and I’ll help you find the home that’s just right for you!

520- 237-2414 CHARLIE MEAKER

cmeaker@gotucson.com

FEATURED HOMES This Month

On the other hand...

If you’re thinking of listing your property, please give me a call. I will give you a free market analysis, work for you on open houses, if desired, and “spread the word” with advertising in all media and the internet.

CAMINO KENNEDY – FORTY ACRES at the north end of Tubac Foothills Ranch.

Several great building sites. Views all around. Adjoins state land on the north.

Can be split into three parcels. Electric at the lot line. Investment Potential!

OFFERED AT $159,000.

FORECLOSURE – ON THE 7TH FAIRWAY AT TUBAC GOLF RESORT.

Upgraded Dorn home – Sabino model – with great room plan, huge kitchen, lots of light. 2BR, 2-1/4 BA in the main house, plus a 1BR-1BA casita. Entertain on the patio or in the courtyard with outdoor fireplace and “stairway to the stars” on the roof walk. A perfect second home. Sold AS-IS, but the Bank will pay up to 2% of the purchase price toward buyer’s closing costs. JUST REDUCED TO $500,000!

OTHER FINE HOMES! - Call for a showing!

UNIQUE PROPERTY, PEACE AND QUIET, MOUNTAIN VIEWS The main house has 4,375 sq. ft. with 4 BR, 4BA, plus exercise room, studio, office, atrium, workshop and pool! Then, there’s an 1,100 sq. ft. shop/office with half bath. All of this on 0.86 ac.

On a quiet cul-de-sac in the Vistas, with a stunning view of the Santa Ritas, large trees and peace and quiet. Let me take you on a tour! REDUCED TO $610,000

2207 EMBARCADERO WAY 3BR Deluxe Townhome, Bank owns it $Call 22B NIELSON LANE 3BR, Views, Privacy $375,000 2251 PALO PARADO 4BR, Big Yard, Views $325,000 6 TROCITO CT. 3BR, Pool, Privacy! $459,000 38 PIEDRA DRIVE 3BR on 3Ac – A Total Remodel $499,000 13 NIELSON LANE 3BR + guest house on 1.8 acres $575,000 ADD: 59 KEATING CIRCLE 3BR Western Ranch Style – lots of extras - $499,000

KENYON RANCH RD – 8 ACRES – 360 VIEWS – JUST A HALF MILE FROM TOWN! This parcel has more than one building site, and views of all the mountain ranges from Mexico to the Catalinas. GR Zoning – can be split. Electric and phones on the property. OFFERED AT $259,000.

AMADO - 5 ACRES, Mountain Views $125,000.

Charlie Meaker

Realty Executives Southern Arizona Tubac Office, PO Box 1987, Tubac AZ 85646 Call me at 520-237-2414 Fax 520-398-2650 “A Tubac Resident for 29 Years”

TUBAC HOME SALES - Resale home sales as reported by MLS - 2/23/09 – 3/23/09 ADDRESS

AREA

DESCRIPTION

SALES PRICE

$ PER SQ. FT

DAYS ON MARKET

2327 ESPLENDIDO 34 PIMERIA ALTA 1970 W. FRONTAGE 1 CALLE NOMADA 128 VESPUCCI 6 CALLE DORADO

VISTAS PALO PARADO W. TUBAC VISTAS BARRIO DE TUBAC BARRIO DE TUBAC

3BR, BUILT 1967 3BR, MANY EXTRAS, BUILT 1979 3BR, 3 ACRES, REMODELED 3BR, AN ORIGINAL AC RAY FROM 1966 3BR, IN SANTIAGO. SHORT SALE 2BR TOWNHOME IN CIELITO LINDO

$240,000 $483,195 $375,000 $184,500 $365,000 $285,000

$155.24 $146.11 $128.69 $110.02 $147.47 $169.34

79 224 380 362 155 205

NOTE: Each month, we will report on Home Sales, using MLS DATA. Questions or Comments? Call or e•mail!

The Tubac Center of the Arts

2 0 0 9 S U mmer Y outh P rogram

16th 6 Camino Otero