Tucson Weekly, Feb. 4, 2021

CURRENTS: THE HUMANE SOCIETY’S NEW BOUTIQUE

R E F E RE ESS“ FEB 4 - 10, 2021 • TUCSONWEEKLY.COM • FREE

“

N D A M

SEE

You can buy cannabis now.

Here’s what you need to know. The excruciatingly long lines

By Austin Counts and David Abbott

DANEHY: Why the AZ GOP Is in Big Trouble

!

THE SKINNY: Bad Bills at the AZ Legislature

2

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

FEB. 4, 2021

FEB. 4, 2021 | VOL. 36, NO. 5

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

3

The Tucson Weekly is available free of charge in Pima County, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue of the Tucson Weekly may be purchased for $1, payable at the Tucson Weekly office in advance. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Tucson Weekly, please visit TucsonWeekly.com

STAFF

CONTENTS CURRENTS

4

Pima County delivers 100K+ vaccine doses but continues to struggle with limited supply

CURRENTS

6

Skaters raise funds to build a skatepark on the Tohono O’odham Nation

THE SKINNY

10

Some of the worst ideas coming out of the Arizona legislature this year

MUSIC

Mute Swan returns noisy as ever

12

EDITOR’S NOTE

Jaime Hood, General Manager, Ext. 12 jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com Casey Anderson, Ad Director/ Associate Publisher, Ext. 22 casey@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Green Grass and High Tide AFTER 60 PERCENT OF VOTERS approved the recreational use of cannabis by adults in last November, it was pretty clear that the “reefer madness” arguments of prohibitionists were falling on deaf ears. And if the initial lines outside Tucson’s dispensaries when they opened for recreational sales less than two weeks ago are any indication, a wide range of folks are ready to enjoy the pleasures of cannabis, whether they want to smoke it, drink it, eat it or rub it on their bodies. While the devil’s lettuce still has a ways to go before it’s as socially acceptable as having a bottle of beer or a glass of wine, attitudes are clearly changing. Managing editor Austin Counts and Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott combine forces this week to explore not only what’s happening at the dispensaries, but some of the problems that limited zoning is creating for neighbors of the shops.

Elsewhere in the book this week: Staff reporter Nicole Ludden updates us on what’s happening with the spread of the coronavirus (getting better but still really bad), the progress on vaccinations (more than 100K done but Pima County needs more shots

Claudine Sowards, Accounting, Ext. 13 claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist, Ext. 10 sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com

from the state) and the county’s effort to slow the spread (the court says the curfew is still a no-go); columnist Tom Danehy looks at how GOP efforts to disenfranchise voters could ultimately marginalize the Republican Party in Arizona; The Skinny looks at some of the screwball bills this year at the Arizona Legislature; David Abbott explains why there still aren’t very many group running events; intern Madison Beal tells us about what we can find at the Humane Society’s new thrift store at Park Place; associate editor Jeff Gardner looks at new releases from Seanloui and Mute Swan; and there’s plenty more in the book, including Tucson’s best cartoons, puzzles, horoscopes and Dan Savage’s inimitable sex column.

Stay safe and we’ll see you next week!

— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor Hear Nintz talk about the latest on the outbreak and other news at 8:30 Wednesday mornings on The Frank Show on KLPX, 91.1 FM.

RANDOM SHOTS By Rand Carlson

ARTS & CULTURE

ADMINISTRATION Jason Joseph, President/Publisher jjoseph@azlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, Ext. 38 jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Austin Counts, Managing Editor, Ext. 36 austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Associate Editor, Ext. 43 jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Mike Truelsen, Web Editor, Ext. 35 mike@tucsonlocalmedia.com Nicole Ludden, Staff Reporter, Ext. 42 nicolel@tucsonlocalmedia.com Contributors: Rob Brezsny, Max Cannon, Rand Carlson, Tom Danehy, Emily Dieckman, Bob Grimm, Andy Mosier, Linda Ray, Margaret Regan, Will Shortz, Jen Sorensen, Clay Jones, Dan Savage PRODUCTION David Abbott, Production Manager, Ext. 18 david@tucsonlocalmedia.com Ryan Dyson, Graphic Designer, Ext. 26 ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com Emily Filener, Graphic Designer, Ext. 29 emilyf@tucsonlocalmedia.com CIRCULATION Alex Carrasco, Circulation, Ext. 17, alexc@tucsonlocalmedia.com ADVERTISING Kristin Chester, Account Executive, Ext. 25 kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive, Ext. 24 candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com Lisa Hopper, Account Executive Ext. 39 lisa@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive, Ext. 27 tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING VMG Advertising, (888) 278-9866 or (212) 475-2529 Tucson Weekly® is published every Thursday by 13 Street Media at 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona. Address all editorial, business and production correspondence to: Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona 85741. Phone: (520) 797-4384, FAX (520) 575-8891. First Class subscriptions, mailed in an envelope, cost $112 yearly/53 issues. Sorry, no refunds on subscriptions.

Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN). The Tucson Weekly® and Best of Tucson® are registered trademarks of 10/13 Communications. Back issues of the Tucson Weekly are available for $1 each plus postage for the current year. Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

13

Showcasing local artists for Black History Month

TUCSON WEEDLY

14

The marijuana marketplace is now open

Cover design by Ryan Dyson

Copyright: The entire contents of Tucson Weekly are Copyright © 2019 by Thirteenth Street Media.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher, Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, AZ 85741.

4

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

CURRENTS

VAX POPULI

Pima County delivers 100K+ vaccine doses but continues to struggle with limited supply from Arizona Department of Health Services

By Nicole Ludden Nicolel@tucsonlocalmedia.com

PIMA COUNTY HAS PASSED THE paradoxical intersection of administering more than 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines after surpassing 100,000 coronavirus cases Friday, Jan. 29.

As of Sunday, Jan. 31, the county administered 112,692 vaccine doses and reported 101,961 coronavirus cases Monday, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data.

“Our vaccination plan was really designed to increase early impact through accelerated immunization,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public health director. “The good news is I think we are starting to see that acceleration, and hopefully, we will soon start to see the impact of that on our community in terms of morbidity and mortality.”

The population currently eligible to receive vaccines are those over 75, educators, childcare providers and protective service workers—a group Cullen estimates to be around 150,000 individuals.

According to the public health director, the county is administering about 35,000 doses a week, which puts them on track to administer 140,000 vaccines by the second week of February.

However, with second doses of either the Pfizer of Moderna vaccine needed for one to be considered fully immunized, Cullen said this doesn’t mean the current 1B priority group in Pima County’s vaccine rollout will be done so soon.

“One would think in four weeks we’d be done, right? Because not everybody’s going to get the vaccine. Remember, people are getting two vaccines. So once we throw that second vaccine in there, the numbers become a little extended in terms of how long it takes,” she said.

The next eligible group will be the 65+ population, which Cullen estimates is a group of more than 200,000 residents.

Although the current priority group still needs to receive second doses, the 65 and over crowd could be eligible sooner than expected.

“The question everybody wants is

when are we going to flip the switch?

I would reassure you that we’re in the process of doing some calculations, and some of it is related to that second shot,” Cullen said. “But it’ll definitely be sometime in February, maybe the end of February. We thought maybe the middle of March—I think it will be earlier if our vaccine distribution holds.”

PIMA COUNTY NEEDS STATE HELP TO OPEN SIXTH DISTRIBUTION SITE AT RILLITO PARK ALTHOUGH THE COUNTY’S ORIGINAL accelerated vaccination plan foresaw the opening of the sixth point of distribution (POD) for vaccines at Rillito Park on Feb. 5, a lack of help from the state is hindering the county’s ability to open it.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry wrote a letter to ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ on Jan. 26 asking for aid to create a POD at Rillito, adding the location could provide up to 5,000 vaccinations a day if operated 24/7.

In a press conference on Jan. 22, Christ suggested Pima County denied the state’s help in setting up a state-run POD, but added, “that is always something that we are welcome to offer as we get additional vaccine in the state.”

Huckelberry contends the county never denied such an offer.

“I checked with both Deputy County Administrator and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia and Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen on this matter. They, as well as I, do not recall any conversation with a State official declining assistance in setting up a future state operated POD,” Huckelberry wrote in his letter to Christ. “I apologize if we somehow left you with that impression.”

Cullen said she believes a passing comment she made created the miscommunication.

“I think it’s something that I stated that made the state believe we didn’t want a POD,” Cullen explained. “I was asked at one point whether we wanted a POD, and it was at that moment I said we’re in the process of standing up five. We have enough vaccine for five, when we’ve done

COURTESY ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES

According to the public health director, the county is administering about 35,000 doses a week, which puts them on track to administer 140,000 vaccines by the second week of February.

this five, let’s re-talk.”

The county health director said Pima County’s current PODs are providing enough throughput that they don’t need to set up the Rillito POD for at least two weeks, but the county needs the state’s help staffing it when the time comes.

“If we set up another site, which would at that point be projected to be our largest site, we would need a very significant number of volunteers and staff. So if the state comes in and helps us, the expectation would also be that it would be great if we had help for the staffing, the volunteer schedule and for the long haul,” Cullen said. “It’s fatigue-laden work that requires precision because it is a medical intervention. We are increasingly worried about fatigue among our staff, our volunteers and even our contractors.”

VACCINE ALLOCATION IS MORE DIRE IN PRESENCE OF COVID-19 MUTATIONS MARICOPA COUNTY HAS TWO 24-hour state-run PODs: one at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale that opened on Jan. 11 and a second one at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium that opened on Monday.

The state ordered the 24-hour PODs 140,400 vaccine doses, and they administered 107,496 shots as of Sunday, according to ADHS data. In addition, the state had allocated Maricopa County 413,875 doses, of which 294,132 have been administered.

The state had allocated Pima County 140,425 doses, only 25 more than the state-run PODs. “To me, that is a really important statistic because it speaks to the fact that we

need to have more vaccine on the ground here if we are going to continue to make good progress,” County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “Right now, our PODs are firing on all engines, it isn’t always pretty and it’s not always perfect, but we’re actually doing a pretty darn good job of getting vaccine administered into the right people’s arms.”

With the arrival of mutations of COVID-19 in the United States, the acceleration of vaccine distribution is becoming even more crucial.

The variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil are more contagious than the original coronavirus and have been identified in the U.S., according to the CDC. The UK variant has been identified in Arizona after at least three test samples came back positive for it, the ADHS announced Friday.

The CDC says while studies are still underway, they suggest that the COVID-19 vaccines will defend against the mutations.

“The quicker we can immunize if there does happen to be variation in the genetic sequencing of the virus, the more likely we are to have people protected. Now, even if there’s not genetic changes, the more likely we are to stop the pandemic,” Cullen said. “It’s why acceleration becomes a critical component of the impact of immunization. At the same time I say that, it’s difficult because I’m asking people to be patient. We don’t have enough vaccine right now to go any quicker than we are.” ■ Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

FEB. 4, 2021

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

5

CURRENTS

UPS AND DOWNS

Pima County is seeing fewer new COVID cases, but hospitals remain jammed up and experts fear variant coronavirus strains

By Nicole Ludden nicolel@tucsonlocalmedia.com

COVID-19 CASES HAVE DECREASED in Arizona for the second week in a row, but the state remains the nation’s highest for transmission of the virus as of Monday, Feb. 1.

CDC data shows Arizona’s average transmission rate is at 75 daily cases per 100,000 of the population. The state has held the first or second spot for the nation’s top transmission rate throughout most of January.

According to the latest report by Dr. Joe Gerald, a University of Arizona professor who creates weekly coronavirus epidemiology reports based on Arizona Department of Health Services data, the week ending Jan. 24 shows an 18% decrease in coronavirus cases from the week prior.

“This week saw another meaningful decline in COVID-19 cases which now clearly represents a sustained, real decrease in viral transmission,” Gerald wrote in this week’s report. “This decline is accompanied by reductions in hospital and ICU occupancy. Reductions in mortality should quickly follow.

While this reprieve is welcomed, the absolute level of [coronavirus] transmission remains exceptionally high.”

The week ending Jan. 10 remains the state’s deadliest with 889 COVID-19 deaths recorded so far.

Gerald predicts deaths will remain “exceptionally high” for the next four to six weeks.

PIMA COUNTY’S OUTLOOK IN PIMA COUNTY, POSITIVE CASES from the week ending Jan. 17 decreased by 26% since the previous week, Gerald’s report says.

The first week of January saw Pima

County’s highest weekly number of COVID-19 cases at 8,814, while the following week dropped to 6,971 and the third week to 4,986, according to the latest Pima County Health Department report. Data from the last 4-7 days are still trickling in, however.

Coronavirus deaths in January’s COURTESY ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES first week tallied 126, the second week COVID deaths by day in Arizona. The two most recent weeks are subject to revision.

116 and the third week 55, the county reports.

According to Pima County’s Chief Administrator Chuck Huckelberry reMedical Officer Dr. Francisco GarCases could transmit even faster ports hospitals’ capacity still remains cia, three key indicators tracking the with the arrival of more contagious critical. spread of COVID-19 are decreasing coronavirus variants from the UK, On Jan. 29, ICU bed availability throughout the county: cases per South Africa and Brazil. was at 5% with only 19 beds available.

100,000 individuals, percent positivity The UK variant has been identified According to the memo, capacity has and hospital visits for COVID-like in Arizona after at least three test remained below 10% for 80 days. illness. samples came back positive for it, the The county’s medical surge beds This leads him to believe the downADHS announced Friday, Jan. 29. ward trend in coronavirus cases will The CDC says while studies are still have remained under 10% capacity for 87 days, with 121 beds available as of sustain. underway, they suggest that the curlast Friday, the memo says.

“All of those are moving in the right rent COVID-19 vaccines will defend COVID-19 patients accounted for direction. If it was going to be shortagainst the mutations. lived I would expect some of those to In Arizona, coronavirus vaccinations 45% of total ICU bed usage, and 116 coronavirus patients were on ventilanot be trending in the same direction,” have been in the works since mid-Detors, representing 55% of total ventilaGarcia said. cember, but only 1.3% of Arizona’s tor usage in the county.

However, the trend won’t continue residents have been fully vaccinated While data tracking the spread of without widespread adherence to virus with the two doses required to be COVID-19 across the state shows mitigation practices like mask-wearconsidered fully immunized, accordpromising downward trends, the paning, social distancing and frequent ing to Bloomberg’s COVID-19 tracker. sanitization.

In Pima County, vaccine availability is demic is still challenging hospitals’ ability to provide care, and the slight “I think we could sustain it if we outstripping the demand for them. reprieve in the state comes relative to don’t get sloppy again,” Garcia said. the sustained widespread transmis“If we continue to do the common HOSPITALS ARE STILL sion of the virus. sense kinds of mitigation measures OVERWHELMED “While conditions are improving, that we have tried to reinforce as much AS OF JAN. 29, COVID-19 PATIENTS Arizona remains in a public health as possible, I think we will mitigate occupying hospital beds decreased crisis where access to critical care against it.”

14% from the previous week, while ICU services is limited due to shortages of bed usage decreased by 6%, according space, personnel and critical supplies,” COVID-19 MUTATIONS COULD to Gerald.

Gerald said. “These conditions will QUICKEN TRANSMISSION According to Pima County Health persist into early February before Department data, the first week of easing. Additional mitigation efforts TODAY, ARIZONA HAS REPORTED January had 434 COVID-19 hospitalcould further slow viral transmission, 762,145 total COVID-19 cases and izations, the second week 338 and the more quickly reduce hospital burden, 13,124 deaths, while Pima County third week 218. and allow additional time to vaccinate has reported 101,961 cases and 1,740 However, a memo from Pima County those at greatest risk.” ■ deaths, according to ADHS Data.

6

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

senior director of programs and tribal relations for NAAF, said she was impressed by the group’s drive to build something that was unavailable to their community, which is located on the farthest southwest portion of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

“Out here on the reservation, there’s nowhere they can go and skate. They have certain spots but nothing like a skatepark,” Jesus said. “We would see them out here in the community, but they really stated themselves as a group in 2017 when they made the proposal.”

The foundation was able to bring the group’s idea to fruition by securing several grants and donations, along with community gaming revenues, Jesus said. After that, Endure had to apply for a land assignment from the local tribal government to get the property that would be home to the skatepark. They also had to make a presentation to their local community at a community meeting, as well as a district meeting to gain support. Luckily, they were assigned a property of a former community center with a still-usable concrete foundation.

“Here on the reservation, we don’t really own property.

The process we have to go through is having to fill out a land assignment form and that’s what this group did,” JePHOTO BY NATIVE AMERICAN ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION sus said. “The area is already developing anyway because The Endure Skatepark Group has raised more than $50,000 toward its $66,500 goal to construct a concrete skatepark in there is a community playground that’s really close to the skatepark area.” the GuVo District of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

Endure and the NAFF are still in the designing phase The Endure Skatepark Group has raised more than of the project, working with Tucson Skatepark Alliance $50,000 toward its $66,500 goal to construct a concrete member Jon Choi, along with TSA co-chair Chris Adkins skatepark in the GuVo District with assistance from the and Borderland Construction co-owner Erik Williams. AdNative American Advancement Foundation, Tucson Skatekins and Williams also own Mortal Skate Shop. At a recent Skaters raise funds to build a skatepark on the T.O. Nation park Alliance, Mortal Skate Shop, Tony Hawk’s The Skate- zoom meeting between Endure, TSA, and NAAF, Choi park Project and rock band Portugal. and Williams presented potential

By Austin Counts the Man’s PTM Foundation. ideas that would best utilize the slab Austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Over the past three years, the currently on the property in the conNAAF has secured upwards of struction of the concrete skatepark.

A COLLECTIVE OF YOUNG $30,000 for the group, while the latter They all intend to return to the skaters from the Tohono O’odham Nation is one step slab in mid-February to solidify closer to building a skatepark in their district to honor a two organizations donated $20,000 toward the cause. The Tucson Skatedesign plans and hopefully start fallen friend. park Alliance is helping design the construction by April or May. Howfuture park while Mortal Skate Shop ever, COVID may cause challenges has donated free gear to the group to start construction before the hot while teaching the community the summer months and they still need fundamentals of properly setting up to raise another $15,000 to make and maintaining a skateboard. sure the skatepark is what the Jacob Charlie, 17, a member of group envisioned, said NAAF CEO Endure, said the idea came from the Jordan Evans.

Selina Jesus, group’s founder and spokesperson, “Everything is kind of in flux with Native American Advancement Foundation Eli “P.K.” Lewis, while they were COVID,” Evans said. “We’re hopskateboarding on a concrete basing to have a finalized set of plans ketball court in the GuVo District back in 2016. Lewis, 28, by spring and then we can pick a breaking ground date. passed away during a car accident in 2020.

But the last piece of funding really is key for us to finalize “We didn’t have a skatepark, so we had to improvise and plans.” use that slab of concrete, D.I.Y, you know. We built little The skatepark doesn’t have an official name at the moramps out of wood we found,” Charlie said. “Our homie, ment, but Endure is using the “free as a bird” concept their P.K. said ‘Man, we should get a skatepark out here, you fallen friend, P.K. Lewis, often talked about as the inspiraknow’ and we all looked around at each other and were like, tion for the design.

‘You think so?’”

“I asked him, ‘What does free as a bird mean?’ He said Once inspiration struck, the group reached out to the ‘This is me. This is how I feel when I’m on a skateboard.’

Tucson Skatepark Alliance, which put Endure in touch Skateboarding was his passion and he said he felt like a bird with the NAAF, according to Charlie. The group then flying around, looking at everything while on a skateboard,” had to submit a proposal to the foundation. Selina Jesus, Jesus said. “That was when he was in his comfort zone.” ■

CURRENTS

WHEELS IN MOTION

Skateboarding was his passion and he said he felt like a bird flying around, looking at everything while on a skateboard. That was when he was in his comfort zone.

FEB. 4, 2021

CURRENTS

MADISON BEAL

The Humane Society Thrift Store looks different but has the same goals.

PET PROJECT

Humane Society thrift store moves to Park Place Mall

By Madison Beal tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF Southern Arizona recently moved its thrift store to a new, temporary location at Park Place Mall. The new store serves as more of a boutique than their previous location, but continues to fund the Humane Society’s goal of helping Tucson’s homeless cats and dogs.

Humane Society Chief Development Officer Diana Cannon said the recent grand opening was a huge success, with a line of people waiting to get into the store.

“It’s exciting because now people who are just in the mall shopping stop in to see what we have,” Cannon said.

“It’s increasing our exposure to people who may have never known about our store.”

The HSSA Thrift Store has been selling lightly used items to its customers for more than a decade. Just

three years ago, they partnered with Sam Levitz Furniture, which has been supplying the thrift store with furniture that is then sold at discounted prices.

Since COVID-19 hit in March, the thrift store has seen a significant increase in the amount of furniture donations they receive. According to HSSA Thrift Store manager Karen Loudon, they are receiving at least double the amount of furniture they ever have.

As they started to acquire more and more furniture, the HSSA team realized that there wasn’t enough space in their store to house their larger products, so they started looking for a larger location where they could properly display their furniture.

The HSSA recently discovered the perfect space for their thrift store, but they will not be able to move into that location until the summer 2021.

In the meantime, the HSSA decided to temporarily move their thrift store

to Park Place Mall where they can both display their furniture and continue to accept donations. The organization permanently closed its former location on Speedway Boulevard on Dec. 19 and were able to open the doors of their new location to the public on Jan. 15.

At their new location on the east side of the mall, the organization has plenty of space to stage the available furniture. In addition, the store carries jewelry, artwork, designer clothing, designer handbags and antiques.

Loudon explained that the new store location is more like a boutique than a traditional thrift store. For the next six months, they will focus on selling furniture and collectibles instead of the cheaper knick-knacks that some customers may be accustomed to. The HSSA team decided to change their sales approach in order to adapt to the new mall environment.

The new and improved HSSA Thrift Store is now open to the public seven days a week during mall hours. While the atmosphere of the new location may be vastly different from that of the original store, the core mission remains the same: The HSSA Thrift Store still seeks to aid the animals and

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

7

the people in our community.

The store’s profits go directly to the programs and services that the Humane Society of Southern Arizona offers, including low-cost clinic services, shelter adoptions, end-of-life services, and a variety of education programs that seek to reduce the number of homeless pets in the community.

The HSSA has seen an increase in pet adoptions since the onset of the pandemic. Cannon explained that this is likely due to the fact that people are spending more time at home in order to stay safe.

Even though more people are adopting, there are still countless homeless pets in the city of Tucson. The revenue made at the HSSA Thrift Store is instrumental in helping the Humane Society find a forever home for homeless cats and dogs.

“What I love about this work is that we’re taking people’s castaways and turning them into things that people want,” Loudon said. “We’re supporting our shelter and our community.” ■ Madison Beal is a University of Arizona journalism student and Tucson Weekly intern.

8

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

Active Living 2021

COURTESY PHOTO

Parkrun is an all-volunteer, egalitarian event for people of all ages.

HEART AND SOLE

Running events mostly still on hold but virtual racing offers alternative

By David Abbott david@tucsonlocalmedia.com

AS THE MONTHS OF PANDEMIC have dragged on and shutdown orders in some form have remained in place in Tucson and Pima County, the social aspect of recreational running has been stifled for nearly a year now.

Through it all, local running guru Randy Accetta and his wife Tia have done their best to maintain the Run Tucson network of training groups and events, but given social distancing guidelines, the cost of insurance, the inability to get permits and, of course, an unexpected fiscal crunch, that has been difficult at best.

“It costs a boatload of money to put on one of these events,” Accetta said. “It’s not feasible at this time [due to COVID], so we’re doing our events virtually.”

Virtual runs entail signing up for a race

and running it in a certain timeframe wherever one happens to be. Posting results is largely on the honor system in lieu of having electronic chip timers that are de rigueur for on the ground events.

The benefits of virtual racing include motivation for runners who might otherwise remain indoors, financially supporting the local running club and of course, the T-shirts, medals and other swag associated with racing.

In order to run an in-person race, Accetta usually has to get permission from multiple entities or jurisdictions, which is not happening at this time. Neither the City of Tucson nor Pima County will issue permits for mass events until at least the end of February or possibly March, according to Accetta.

Run Tucson’s signature events, the Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown, named in honor of Gabrielle Giffords’ director of commu-

nity outreach killed in the January 2011 shooting, generally raise tens of thousands of dollars for local charities as well as supporting Run Tucson’s ability to survive.

The series includes three races—TMC Get Moving, Meet Me Downtown 5K and the TMC Tucson 10K—that have all been run virtually this year.

The year 2020 resulted in vast revenue reductions for the organization and the only live event Run Tucson has been able to host since the March 2020 shutdown was the Grand Canyon Trail Half Marathon, which took place in early November, before the COVID surge that has plagued Arizona in recent months.

Despite that, Run Tucson and its participants still managed raise nearly $28,000 for local charities to support, “children in need, wheelchair athletes, health care workers, animal welfare, local public media, explorations in science, and health, wellness, & public health advocacy.”

Those nonprofits include BEYOND-Tucson Foundation; Arizona Public Media; Team Hoyt Arizona; Humane Society of Southern Arizona; Pima County Parks Foundation; TMC Foundation; Tucson Children’s Museum; Educational Enrichment Foundation; Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce; Biosphere 2 and the Southern Arizona Roadrunners.

Run Tucson’s next event will be a virtual trail race to replace the Old Tucson Trail Race that will not be held in person due to county COVID restrictions. The challenge is to run, walk or hike as many trails as possible between Sunday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, March 7. Information can be found at runtucson.net.

Accetta hopes to be able to offer some kind of in-person event by May, but is not committed to any specific timeline.

Another motivational tool provided by Run Tucson—Accetta is director of coaching education for the Road Runners Club of America—is the WOG, or Workout Group, a weekly training group for persons of all ages and abilities.

WOGs have undergone expansion during the pandemic, as well as adding restrictive measures to ensure the groups are as safe as possible. The WOGs follow CDC guidelines for masking and social distancing. For guidelines, updates or to sign up, go

to runtucson.net.

Ultimately, the Accettas and Run Tucson have adopted a wait-and-see approach to group running while attempting to help Tucson runners keep their sanity during a stay-at-home global pandemic.

“Nobody has any money these days: We have to innovate in the face of this,” Accetta said. “The goal is to create opportunities all around.”

Another active group in Tucson that has had to adjust to the “new reality” is Himmel Parkrun, an all-volunteer organization that is part of a worldwide network.

Himmel Parkrun is a weekly, timed 5K run that for several years took place every Saturday at the urban park on North Tucson Boulevard just south of Speedway. Parkrun has not hosted an in-person event since March 2020, but lead organizer David Armet hopes that will change in the weeks to come.

“As of now, Arizona is in a very bad coronavirus outbreak but it won’t last forever,” he wrote in a recent email. “At this rate, I can’t easily guess when we will round the corner but when it does I’ll look forward to restarting Parkrun.”

Armet’s “best guess” is early spring 2021, but for the time being, there is a virtual option.

When he gets the OK from all parties, including Parkrun International, which sets rules for the program, Armet says he is ready to start up again. All that’s left is for life to get back to some semblance of normal and the city to allow activities to resume in its parks.

He is hopeful though, given that the vaccine is making its way through the population and infection numbers seem to have leveled off in Tucson in recent days.

“When the external world grants permission we’re ready to go,” Armet explained.

“Once we see kids playing soccer in the parks, that will be a good sign.”

Parkrun is a global organization begun in 2004 in Teddington, UK, providing free events in 22 countries around the world, acting as a motivational, free tool for thousands of runners. Armet began Himmel Parkrun in 2018 after returning to Tucson from a stint in London. ■ For more information, go to parkrun.com.

FEB. 4, 2021

granted,” Johnson wrote in the ruling.

“The Court considered these arguments in its ruling on the preliminary injunction, and found Plaintiffs demonstrated irreparable harm, and that the balance of hardship tipped in Plaintiffs’ favor.”

The court ordered the preliminary injunction on the grounds the curfew is not “statutorily authorized,” the plaintiffs demonstrated the harm it causes them and it violates Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order.

The governor’s May 12 executive order states: “...no county, city or town may make or issue any order, rule or regula-

CURRENTS

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

tion that conflicts with or is in addition to the policy, directives or intent of this Executive Order, including but not limited to any order restricting persons from leaving their home due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

The curfew was originally set to end when the county reached a rate of 100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. Its current rate is 9,598 cases per 100,000, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data.

The curfew will be halted until a resolution of the case. A trial date has yet to be set. ■

PHOTO BY NICOLE LUDDEN

CURFEW STILL CURTAILED

Superior Court Judge Rejects Pima County’s Effort To Keep Residents Home After 10 p.m.

By Nicole Ludden Nicolel@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Krueger, included other Tucson restaurants he owns in the lawsuit: Union Public House, Reforma Modern Mexican and Proof Artisanal Pizza & Pasta.

A JUDGE HAS REJECTED PIMA On Jan. 22, the county responded County’s efforts to reinstate its mandawith a motion that would allow them to tory curfew that was temporarily halted continue the curfew, but Pima County after it was challenged by local bars.

Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson A group of Tucson bars sued the denied it on Wednesday. county for the harm they faced from the “Defendant argues Plaintiffs’ harms 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and was granted are lessened by the ability to sell food a preliminary injunction on Jan. 19 preand beverage for offsite consumption venting the county from enforcing it. even if the curfew is enforced, and their Owners of Cobra Arcade Bar, Highdecision not to do so when the curfew Wire Lounge and The Maverick filed a was in effect was voluntary. The County joint lawsuit on Jan. 5 contending the county overextended their legal authority also argues its ability to respond to the emergency created by the pandemic is to mandate a curfew. substantially limited if the stay is not The owner of The Maverick, Grant

2021 Book of Lists

Available Now!

Enjoy Evenings on the Patio!

Vegetarian & Vegan Entrees • A Sanctuary in the City

GOVINDA’S IS OPEN FOR DINE-IN and TAKE-OUT 11:30am to 2:30pm for lunch Wednesday-Saturday 5 to 8pm for dinner Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 2:30pm for Sunday brunch Tuesday is “India Night” ENHANCED SANITATION AND NO TOUCH SERVING

Lunch is $8, dinner & brunch $10

We keep our prices low & affordable for a 10-course meal

711 E. Blacklidge Dr. • 520-792-0630 E. of 1st Ave., 2 Blocks S. of Ft. Lowell • GovindasOfTucson.com

Order online at

BOOK of Lists 2021

insidetucsonbusiness. com/bookoflists or Download the digital version today!

9

THE SKINNY

10

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

BAD BILLS Here are a few of the worst ideas coming out the Arizona Legislature this year

Jim Nintzel jnintzel@tucsonweekly.com THE SKINNY HAS NOTED THE

Arizona Republican Party’s descent into madness in recent weeks, what with the ongoing #StopTheSteal BS that courts and mainstream Republicans such as Gov. Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich have rejected. (Admittedly, Brno briefly flirted with signing onto a Texas lawsuit suggesting that Texas should decide the election results in other states, but he has not joined in the looney Sharpiegate lawsuits and other crackpot theories advanced by Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward.)

As you may have seen in the news, Ward herself may or may not have actually won the recent election that put her back in the chair’s position for another two years. Questions about Ward’s victory have been raised by Southern Arizona political activist Sergio Arellano, who allegedly lost to Ward by a mere 42 votes, according to the Arizona Republic. Ward, of course, says there’s nothing to see here—once the votes are counted, results are final and she is not getting into how the votes were tabulated, even though the results of at least one party race were flipped as a result of “human error.” Is Ward the legitimate chair of the Arizona GOP? Guess we’ll always have a cloud hanging over this one, given that anything could have happened in those smoke-filled back rooms where the ballot-counting took place.

Moving on: So the Arizona Republican Party is dominated by crazy activists. That doesn’t mean that the

elected state lawmakers are crazy, does it? Surely they are using their time at the Legislature to seriously address the coronavirus, improve the state’s education system and otherwise deal with the serious challenges facing the state, right?

To answer that question, let’s look at some bills making their way through the Legislature this year: • HB 2720, sponsored by state Rep. Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) would allow the state Legislature to toss the results of the Arizona presidential election and award Arizona’s electoral votes to anyone lawmakers choose right up until inauguration day. In addition, the Legislature could exert this power whether or not it is in special or regular session. (As baseless allegations regarding Biden’s win of Arizona’s electoral votes swirled this year, the cuckoo lawmakers who were spreading the charges couldn’t do much about it because neither Ducey nor legislative leaders would call the Legislature into session. This would allow the nutjobs to sidestep that problem in the future.) The proposed law would also prohibit courts from tossing election challenges, no matter how frivolous, and instead allow any party to an election challenge to demand a jury trial, which must be granted and swiftly carried out. Bolick says all the outrage over her bill is being driven by “the mainstream media using this elections bill as click bait to generate misleading headlines. This bill would give the Arizona Legislature back the power it delegated to certify the electors. It is a good, democratic check and balance.” Sure, if your idea of “check and balance” is changing

the will of the voters to the will of the majority of 90 lawmakers.

• Speaking of election “reform,” HB 2369, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Payne (R-Phoenix), would require mail-in ballots to be notarized, which would require people to pay someone in order to cast a ballot. A modern-day poll tax that’s designed to throw roadblocks in the path of mail-in voting? You bet your ass it is.

• HB 2358, sponsored by Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills), would automatically knock people off the voter registration rolls if the Post Office informs the County Recorder that they have moved. Under the current law, voters are allowed to cast provisional ballots at their new address if they have moved but not updated their address but can demonstrate that they are living in the precinct where they cast a vote. It’s plainly another effort to make it harder for people to vote.

• HB 2650, sponsored by Rep. Walt Blackman (R-Flagstaff), would crim-

inalize abortion and make it possible for prosecutors to file negligent homicide charges against doctors who perform abortions and women who receive them. Blackman gets credit for taking the anti-abortion movement to its logical Handmaid’s Tale-style conclusion, even though most of the pro-life gang doesn’t say this quiet part out loud. At the moment, Blackman’s legislation is unconstitutional, but you can expect a lot more of these bills emerging around the country when Trump’s appointees get around to overturning Roe v. Wade.

This is just some low-hanging fruit; sadly, there are plenty more bad ideas floating around the Legislature, given that more than 1,400 bills have been introduced. There’s a lot more where this list is coming from. While some of these bills aren’t likely to get too far, others could actually go the distance in this Legislature. We’ll keep you updated.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

SORENSEN

FEB. 4, 2021

DANEHY ARIZONA REPUBLICANS ARE GETTING SO RADICALIZED THAT PRETTY SOON, THEY COULD BE AS IRRELEVANT AS THE CALIFORNIA GOP

By Tom Danehy, tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com WHEN IT COMES TO AVOIDING future misfortune, people generally fall into one of three categories. The vast majority of people tend to learn from their own mistakes. They may have to make them more than once, but eventually, they learn. The truly fortunate are those who are able to learn from the mistakes of others, thereby saving themselves from all kinds of grief.

The third (unfortunate) group consists of those who never learn from mistakes, theirs or anybody else’s. These are the knuckleheads, the recidivists, the repeat offenders.

And, if somebody doesn’t do something to pull them out of their self-destructive tailspin, that third group is going to include whatever is left of the once-powerful Arizona Republican Party.

For indisputable evidence, one needs only to look to our neighbor to the west. If an outside observer were to take a political derivative of California, freezing the moment in time, they would be inclined to conclude that the Golden State has always been a bastion of Democratic politics. How else to explain a 5 million vote margin in the state for Joe Biden last November? Or two Democratic Senators, a huge advantage in the state’s delegation to the House of Representatives, and strong control of

CLAYTOONZ By Clay Jones

both parts of the State Legislature?

That conclusion, however, would be wrong. California has not always been a Democratic stronghold. Since 1950, California has had 14 different U.S. Senators—seven Republicans, seven Democrats. In that same time, the state has had 11 governors— six Republicans, five Democrats. The state’s political inflection point can best be seen in the evolution of its membership in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1950, California had 24 Representatives in the House—14 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

After the election of 1960, it had 30 Reps—14 Republican, 16 Democrats (still a pretty even split).

In the 1970s and ’80s, the Republican to Democrat splits were 19-20 and 21-22, respectively.

By the 1990s, the Dems had pulled out to a 26-19 advantage and expanded it to 30-21 in 2000. But in the past 20 years, that relatively modest nine-seat margin is now a stunning 42-11. And while there are a number of factors that can help explain that surge, more of them point to Republican self-destruction rather than Democratic brilliance.

The rapid descent into near-oblivion is

often traced to the 1994 passage of Proposition 187, a draconian measure that called for the institution of a citizenship verification system in the state and the subsequent use of that system to prohibit people who were not in the country legally from using public education, non-emergency health care, and a variety of other state services. Prop 187 passed overwhelmingly, by a nearly 3-2 margin. Proponents of the measure, including then-Governor Pete Wilson (a Republican), claimed that it was strictly an economic measure, even though the California Legislative Analyst’s Office said that the cost of the verification would be more than any savings in state services.

The backlash was immediate and severe. Huge anti-187 demonstrations sprang up all over the state. Three days after its passage, it was declared unconstitutional by a federal court and was never implemented. In the quarter-century since Prop 187, California has had no Republican senators and the only Republican governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose party affiliation appears to have been determined by a coin toss.

After the intense reaction to Prop 187, the California Republican Party chose to double down, becoming more reactionary and appearing more racist. Today, it’s a hollowed-out shell of a political party, almost completely inconsequential in the largest state of the Union.

It’s becoming obvious that chapters of the Republican Party in various states (and the nation, as a whole) aren’t sharp enough to learn from California’s lesson. Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of the

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 11

last eight Presidential elections. And in four years under Donald Trump, the Republicans lost control of the House, the Senate, and the White House. And the post-carnage evaluation? They weren’t Trump enough; they need to be even Trumpier.

In Texas, the GOP has adopted the QAnon phrase “We are the Storm” that was used by terrorists who attacked the U.S. Capitol. The Republican Party in Oregon has officially claimed that the people who stormed the Capitol were really leftists dressed in MAGA costumes in an effort to embarrass Trump. And here in Arizona, the Republican Party, led by the truly horrible Kelli Ward, has gone just plain crazy.

They’ve lost both Senate seats, the presidential vote, they are one seat from an evenly divided Legislature in both chambers, and they’ve lost multiple statewide races. And so what do the Republicans do?

They censure three of their own.

Now, the final nail. Shawnna Bolick, whose Arizona Supreme Court justice husband might want to let her know that Arizona is still part of the United States, introduced a bill in the State Legislature that would effectively render meaningless all voting for President in the state. She wants the Legislature to reserve the power to determine which electors go to the Electoral College. I’ve been around for a long time and this is the absolute most vile attack on democracy I’ve ever seen.

If SB1070 marked the beginning of the end for the Arizona Republican Party, Bolick’s atrocity marks the end of the end. And the postmortem will read, “Death by their own petty, vulgar and often racist hand.” ■

12

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

MUSIC

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA ROMERO AND GABRIELLA MOLINA

HAZY HARMONIES

Mute Swan returns noisy as ever on Only Ever

By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com MUTE SWAN HAS KEPT BUSY since their last major release in 2016: performing at clubs around Tucson, releasing a handful of singles, touring across the nation, taking the stage at SXSW and even hosting livestream performances throughout 2020—damn near everything indie rockers can do, save for releasing a new album.

Now that non-hiatus is ending with the band releasing Only Ever, an album that balances chaos and melody, and was preceded by years of teasers. However, Mute Swan says there isn’t too much of a stylistic shift

on the new album, other than upping their production. Whereas previous albums attempted to capture their stage sound, Only Ever includes tracks and sounds that would be “impossible to accomplish live.” A fitting style for a band embracing the “shoegaze” label— that noisy, multilayered rock genre named after guitarists staring at their feet because they use so many effects pedals.

Singles like “Burnt Almonds” and “Life-like Dream” are prime ‘90s rock worship, awash in grainy pastels, yet managing to balance sentiment with aggressive guitar lines. Some of those guitar tracks go one step further, being recorded into a handheld cassette player for an extra layer of distortion.

The new album features Mike Barnett on guitar and vocals, Prabjit Virdee on bass and vocals, Thomas Sloane on guitar and Roger Reed on drums. With recording starting in 2017, half of the songs were recorded at Dry Liver Studios and the other half at Frank Bair’s studio downtown (now John Henry’s). Over the years, multiple songs were overdubbed and re-recorded.

“A lot of guitars were re-recorded or samples from earlier demos were used.

Drums were re-recorded and samples were added. Some of the vocals were re-recorded,” Barnett said. “Sometimes I would take a pristine vocal recording and play it back into an old cassette recorder to dirty it up. And then the mixing process involved a lot of experimentation, which is what took the longest.”

Because of the longer production cycle, the album was only mildly impacted by the pandemic. Barnett says the only real difference being that the band can’t support the album with a tour or large release show. But the music is plenty enveloping even as a recording, with its whirring guitars and subtly psychedelic sound palette.

This style is shared in another single for the album, “Enough Fun,” which features so many distorted layers, the whole thing would risk sounding disorienting if the vocal melodies buried at the core weren’t so sweet. It’s the only single that includes a music video, which itself is fittingly marred with a VHS haze. The band worked with local musician and artist Adan Martinez Kee for the video, who has experience with video tape formats and could match Mute Swan’s aesthetic.

Despite sounding so upbeat and carefree, “Enough Fun” was written in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and the “flagrant disregard of activists.” The band match this in the video by dressing up as various figures they view as power mongers: a billionaire, a police officer, a businessman and the pope.

“The lyrics point a finger at powerful figures in our society, who pretend to represent average people, but are in truth beholden to big money forces,” Barnett said. “One of our favorite parts is at the end when the pope is petting his cat with a hundred dollar bill. It

GABRIELLA MOLINA

gets pretty ridiculous, but so does our power structure in America.”

This is not to say Only Ever is an explicitly political album. Even the song “Sedative Sun,” which deals with the opioid crisis, contains that mystical shoegaze blend of romance and heaviness, as opposed to the numb isolation one might expect from such lyrical themes. In fact, the band says their lyrics only come after the song is written, and serve as a way to make the abstract musical energy more concrete.

“Enough Fun” is one of the oldest songs on the album, originally released as a single in 2018. As such, it’s the only single that appears different on the album, having been remixed to a generally brighter and larger sound than the original.

“I remember Frank and I were mixing that in his studio and then running outside to hear how it sounded in my car,” Barnett said. “I really liked the dense, lo-fi sound we got for that, but then two years later I listened back and wanted to switch it up for the album version. I changed the guitar and bass tone a lot and Frank helped add space to the overall mix.”

The sound pairs well with the associated album artwork, visual collages created by Tucson artist Gabriella Molina. Alongside the scattered and idyllic album cover, another places the members of Mute Swan on a bright, vaporous backdrop with no clear indication of which direction is up. Rather than attempting to orient themselves, Mute Swan blur into their own wash of color. ■

FEB. 4, 2021

ARTS & CULTURE

Black Renaissance

THE SKINNY

A compilation album and podcast for Black History Month

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

blackrenaissance.online Facebook.com/ BLACKRENAISSANCEAZ Facebook.com/Seanloui Also available on Spotify

COURTESY PHOTO

A MONTH OF RENAISSANCE Seanloui showcases local artists for Black History Month

By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com MUSICIAN AND SINGER SEANLOUI

is making sure Arizona will be well-represented this Black History Month by expanding his Black Renaissance project with a podcast and compilation album highlighting local creatives that will release throughout February.

Seanloui started Black Renaissance in May 2019 as an event series “spotlighting black creatives’ influence on mainstream culture,” whether that be music, film or dance. Since forming, Black Renaissance events have taken place in multiple locations throughout Tucson, such as Hotel McCoy and The Screening Room, as well as Phoenix.

Now, the first episode of the podcast and compilation album have been released and are exploring “the Black Artist community who reside in the Grand Canyon state.” In the first

podcast episode, Black Renaissance highlights Marquez Johnson, a dancer and teacher at the University of Arizona (who was previously featured in the Tucson Weekly).

“This podcast was designed to continue to highlight Black artists all over Arizona during the month of February,” Seanloui said. “We talked to a brand new bunch of artists and oh man, what an amazing, diverse group.

From Marquez Johnson who is a top dancer in Arizona, Shannon Love, who has begun a revolution of love highlighting artists in Phoenix, Franchela Ulises, a revolutionary fashion designer changing the landscape of the fashion industry in Arizona.”

The podcast covers everything from the artists’ backgrounds and inspirations to advice they’d give to those just starting. In addition to the audio podcast, written interviews with Arizona artists are also available on the Black Renaissance website.

The album, simply titled Volume 1,

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 13

includes music from artists in multiple genres and Arizona cities. The process of compiling all the tracks took more than six months, predominantly over social media, and resulted in finding some “gems of the desert” who have created music during the pandemic. Represented cities in the project include Phoenix, Tucson and Sierra Vista.

Black Renaissance has showcased musicians like Jae Tilt, Rozotadi, Mattea and Just Najima (whose work landed on Tucson Weekly’s best local albums of 2020 list).

“The music on the album ranges from indie rock to pop to hip hop and R&B. The music made by the Black community cannot be contained into one avenue. We make everything,” Seanloui said. “This is just a drop of the amazing talent we have here in the Black community and we will continue to search out and do another compilation album next year as well.”

As a solo artist, Seanloui has released multiple albums and singles.

Growing up with a musical family, he performed in churches and with friends on a variety of instruments.

After multiple years playing guitar in an indie rock band, he began his solo project with the mononym Seanloui.

Seanloui plays guitar, bass and sings on his tracks, which blend rock, pop and R&B with clean, modern production—all elevated with his energetic personality and signature voice. His EP The Church Electric landed on the Weekly’s best local albums of 2018 list for its balance of danceable rhythms, hit-worthy hooks and quality songwriting. ■ For more information, visit blackrenaissance.online.

A NOTE OF RESIGNATION

Tucson City Councilman Paul Durham calls it quits in the final year of his first term TUCSON CITY COUNCILMAN PAUL Durham, who was first elected in 2017, is resigning from the job.

“Representing the constituents of Ward 3 has been a profound privilege,” Durham wrote in his letter of resignation. “However, in order to attend to personal matters, I am now compelled to resign from my position as the Ward 3 councilmember prior to the expiration of my term.”

Durham’s last day in office will be March 1.

Durham had previously taken a leave of absence from the council job in September 2020 to focus on caring for his husband, Philippe, who has been suffering from cancer, but Durham had since returned to the job.

Mayor Regina Romero thanked Durham for his service on the council.

“Paul has been a dedicated advocate for the residents of Ward 3 and has truly exemplified what it means to be a public servant,” Romero said in a prepared statement. “I am grateful for his leadership on issues ranging from climate action to affordable housing and will miss his voice on the council.

I know this must have been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and I ask our community to join me in thanking him for his service to Tucsonans and respecting his privacy at this time.”

The City Council will appoint someone to fill Durham’s seat through the remainder of the year.

A primary election for the Ward 3 seat was already set for August 2021, with the general election to follow in November. ■ Correction: Last week’s Skinny column incorrectly reported that Ralph Atchue, who is putting together a recall campaign against Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem, ran against Finchem in 2018. Atchue ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in District 11, not the House of Representatives. And to clarify, Gov. Doug Ducey has said he is not running against U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly in 2022.

14

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

AUSTIN COUNTS

Traffic and parking became such a headache in the days following the start of adult-use weed sales that the City of Tucson sent out crews to paint the curbs around Harvest red.

THE MARIJUANA MARKETPLACE Cannabis dispensaries are now open for business to the general public

By Austin Counts and David Abbott tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com OUTSIDE MIDTOWN’S HARVEST cannabis dispensary, Sammy Magro said she had no problem standing in line to get legal THC cartridges instead of purchasing them off the black market as she had done for years. It was a sunny day in the low 70s and the line was moving quickly, so Magro didn’t mind the wait, she said.

“I’m excited about this. It’s my first time buying legally,” Magro said. “I’m looking for cartridges today because it’s better than getting them off the street because they’re pure.”

Bryce Hill said he has bought recreational marijuana in other legal states

and he was glad adult-use sales had finally come to Pima County because of the tax benefits.

“I think it’s going to benefit the community because it’s taxed pretty heavily,” Hill said. “I forgot the exact numbers, but like Colorado, when they first legalized it they got massive amounts of money.”

Others in the line would only give their first name—either due to the ongoing stigma of being associated with marijuana usage or a need for privacy.

Charles X said he thought recreational marijuana was a very useful thing for the community to have, especially during a pandemic.

“I’ve lived in Oregon before, so recreational legal marijuana for the citizenry

is nothing new to me,” Charles X said.

“But I think it’s an excellent alternative to many of the substances people have turned to for stress relief during the pandemic.”

The customers outside Harvest, 2734 E. Grant Road, were just a few of the thousands of Tucsonans who have been standing in line, sometimes for hours, for the chance to purchase recreational weed. Once inside the dispensaries, customers are discovering not only high-quality cannabis buds, but also a variety of marijuana extracts that can be smoked, eaten or applied to their bodies in the form of pain-relieving lotions.

The rush started on Friday, Jan. 22, when Harvest opened its doors to recreational customers.

Steve White, the owner of 15 Harvest dispensaries throughout Arizona, said he wasn’t expecting recreational sales to happen as soon as they did, but as the owner of the largest chain in the state, he had the staff and inventory to be ready for it.

“We hired in advance of this, we knew we wanted to be prepared,” White said.

“We wanted to open as quickly as we could. We wanted to get recreational cannabis to customers the minute we were able to do it.”

White has built his empire since voters first approved the state’s medical marijuana program in 2010. In the years since, he’s steadily bought out licenses and opened shops in Avondale, Baseline, Casa Grande, Chandler, Cottonwood, Glendale, Havasu, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. He was also the largest single contributor to 2020’s Prop 207 campaign, kicking in $1.8 million of nearly $6 million raised for supporters.

White had the Tucson market cornered for a few days, but in less than a week, two more dispensaries had expanded from serving medical patients to the general public, Desert Bloom ReLeaf Center at 8060 E. 22nd Street and north-central Bloom on Oracle Road.

(Despite their similar names, the two dispensaries are separate from each other; Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center is locally owned by Aari Ruben, while Bloom is part of chain that includes outlets in Phoenix, Sedona and Peoria in addition to Tucson.

Other dispensaries are preparing to open to recreational sales in the coming weeks, but they face a variety of hurdles.

Moe Asnani, who owns the Downtown

COURTESY PHOTO

Harvest Health & Recreation founder and CEO Steve White.

Dispensary at 221 E. Sixth Street and D2 at 7105 E. 22nd St., says he hopes to open to recreational sales soon, but has to take a number factors into consideration, such as social distancing and availability of product.

“There are two main holdups: capital and inventory. There is also an issue with compliance for employees and we’re hiring as much as we can,” Asnani said. “It doesn’t take very long, though, because of the electronic system already in place.”

Brian Warde says his two Prime Leaf locations, at 4220 E. Speedway and 1525 N. Park Ave., expect to be open in March.

Warde, co-owner and CEO of Prime Leaf, wants to be sure his employees and patients are as safe as possible, given the continued ravages of the coronavirus.

Citing space issues and inventory management—with the additional need for testing medicinal products due to a law that went into effect last November— Warde said last week he was going to take some time for his adult-use rollout in order to address public and employee safety during the COVID pandemic.

He also wants to ensure the patient experience does not suffer because he rushed the move into recreational sales.

“We want to give patients what they have come to expect, and not allow the adult-use market to alter our patients’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

FEB. 4, 2021

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 15

16

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

BANDIT RIVEREDGE

A sampling of product available at Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center in Tucson.

MARIJUANA MARKETPLACE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

experience,” Warde said last week as the adult-use market frenzy began. “We’re slow rolling it to make sure we are in the best possible position to meet everyone’s expectations.”

Earth’s Healing, with two locations at 78 W. River Road and 2075 E. Benson Highway, expects to start recreational sales “the week of Feb. 5,” according Flo Hizazi, a spokesperson for the company.

The Green Halo’s Victoria Poulus says the dispensary at 7710 S. Wilmot Road plans to launch recreational sales in April.

Marana’s two dispensaries are moving to open as well. Nature Med, 5390 W. Ina Road, has a set a target date of Feb. 25.

However, it may longer before Botanica, 6205 N. Travel Center Drive, opens their doors to the recreational customer.

Owner Bryan Hill said it’s dependent on how fast he can prepare his staff for adult-use transactions, especially while COVID cases remain high in the county.

He said he wants to make sure his staff is knowledgeable and prepared before Botanica announces a date.

“We’re not in the business of doing anything half-heartedly or not fully contemplated, so there’s a component of staff training we need to do, as well

THE RUSH HASN’T COME WITHOUT as some technologies we need to figure problems. Outside Harvest last week, a out before we’re ready,” Hill said. “That neighborhood resident named George— could be as soon as the middle of Febwho withheld his last name due to privaruary, or maybe it’s as late as the middle cy—was walking back to his home after of March. It really just depends on how surveying the scene outside the dispencomfortable me and my management staff feel we’re doing this in the absolute sary. George said he was upset about the recent influx of Harvest’s customers most legal way.” taking over the Hill is anticipatstreets he has lived ing long lines of on for more than the customers once his past 30 years, dispensary does beGeorge said that gin adult-use sales, Harvest “should not but said he believes be here. It should those lines will be be in some plaza temporary due to or shopping center. customer inquisiIt gets too much tiveness and other traffic going by and county dispensaries my neighbors are starting their adultunable to walk their use sales programs. dogs because cars “When the first are blocking the In-and-Out Burgsidewalk. It’s too er opened up, Bryan Hill Botanica owner chaotic now.” people lined up In an effort to for 12 hours for a deal with the hundreds of complaints hamburger,” Hill said. “I think there’s from nearby residents, the city disgoing to be a natural curiosity about it patched a Park Tucson staffer to repaint at the beginning. But we’re building up red “No Parking” markings on the curbs. our infrastructure and managing our An unmasked Park Tucson employee staffing levels to anticipate an increase was wrapping up his day painting the in business.” curbside along Treat Ave., near Grant

When the first Inand-Out Burger opened up, people lined up for 12 hours for a hamburger. I think there’s going to be a natural curiosity about it at the beginning.

Road. The employee declined an interview. “I’ve never liked scumbag journalists,” he said.

Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik said he has received hundreds of phone calls and emails with complaints from nearby residents about cars blocking sidewalks and driveways and guns being pulled on neighborhood residents for confronting those parked illegally.

“This is not about ‘don’t sell pot.’ This is about treating people with a little bit of respect,” Kozachik said. “I walked by there a couple of times a day to get to and from work and two nights ago I saw people parking on the sidewalk, in front of a fire hydrant and in the wrong direction.”

Kozachik said the city was not adding new red zones to the area, but only updating areas where it’s already illegal to park along Treat and the surrounding neighborhood. He added the dispensary is trying to help alleviate the situation by hiring security to monitor the area and are using a vacant lot near The Bayhorse Tavern for overflow parking.

But more could be done on the city’s end to help fix the problem, according to the councilmember. He said a big part of the problem is the city’s restrictive landuse conditions that were put into place after medical marijuana was legalized in

FEB. 4, 2021

2010. Kozachik said he would like to see those conditions changed so dispensaries like Harvest could relocate to a shopping center.

“Right now, we have vacant storefronts all over town that have a boatload of parking and are the appropriate size for places like this,” Kozachik said. “We as a city have to do better than this by the residents, in terms of managing what’s happening around the place because we know the impact it has.

Since mid-October, municipalities including Sahuarita, Marana and Oro Valley have moved to limit adult-use sales in their respective jurisdictions. But the City of Tucson is working to update its zoning ordinances to help the industry flourish and increase economic activity.

Discussions about updates to the Unified Development Code Related to Medical and Adult Use Marijuana Dispensaries began in August as Tucson City Council wrestled with an emergency resolution to accommodate health department COVID-19 pandemic protocols for social distancing in Tucson dispensaries.

In the wake of a stakeholder meeting in mid-October, COVID-related temporary measures were adopted by the city to

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 17

BANDIT RIVEREGDE

Workers at Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center had their hands full once adult-use recreational sales began.

help with social distancing, and included curbside pickup and delivery, home delivery and expanded lobby size.

The measures allow for the utilization of unused space to expand lobbies, on a site-by-site basis, and also allows for

the use of drive-thrus where they exist in buildings that have been converted to dispensary use.

Current zoning limits dispensaries to 4,000-square feet with one-quarter of that devoted to lobby space.

An additional stakeholder meeting in December sought feedback for code updates the Planning and Development Services Department has been tasked to achieve by April.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

18

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

MARIJUANA MARKETPLACE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

BANDIT RIVEREDGE

The lobby at Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center.

Key items that will be considered for amendment will include parking, dispensary size, lobby size, layout, dual-use facilities and drive-thrus.

To that end, the Planning Commission has scheduled a series of meetings and study sessions, the latest of which took place on Jan. 27, for updating regulations that will make their way to city council at the end of March.

Among the changes proposed are increasing the maximum size of a dispensary from 4,000-square-feet to 10,000-square-feet, removing restrictions on drive-thrus for marijuana facilities and amending the ordinance to reflect the new reality of legalized adult use.

There is a planning commission public hearing scheduled for Feb. 17 and council has scheduled a public hearing and review of the amendments on March 23. Details can be found at tucsonaz.gov.

“We will be reviewing our zoning regulations for dispensaries to address the new world recreational pot sales

have created for us,” Kozachik said.

“Right now our rules are restrictive, which means some locations such as an empty storefront in a shopping mall that has a ton of parking may not qualify.

We need to take a hard look at easing up some of the rules so these places are not effectively forced into inappropriate locations such as this one on Treat.

Even with medical pot only, Harvest has always been a traffic/crowd problem.”

Prop 207 allows local jurisdictions to create their own rules around recreational weed, but they are not allowed to create ordinances more restrictive than what is currently allowed for medical dispensaries.

Several towns have already clamped down on recreational sales and will only allow dual-use licenses now that Prop 207 has passed.

Sahuarita enacted a town-wide ban on new dispensaries in late October, allowing Hana Meds to be the only adult-use dispensary in town.

Likewise Oro Valley and Marana have banned single-use marijuana establishments, but Marana will allow Botanica and Nature Med to sell recreational cannabis once they receive dual licenses. ■

FEB. 4, 2021

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 19

TUCSON AREA DISPENSARIES Bloom Tucson. 4695 N. Oracle Road, Ste. 117 293-3315; bloomdispensary.com Open: Sunday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Botanica. 6205 N. Travel Center Drive 395-0230; botanica.us Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center. 8060 E. 22nd St., Ste. 108 886-1760; dbloomtucson.com Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily Offering delivery Downtown Dispensary. 221 E. 6th St., Ste. 105 838-0492; thedowntowndispensary.com Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily D2 Dispensary. 7105 E 22nd St. 214-3232; d2dispensary.com/ Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily Earth’s Healing. Two locations: North: 78 W. River Road 395-1432 South: 2075 E. Benson Highway 373-5779 earthshealing.org Open: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Offering delivery The Green Halo. 7710 S. Wilmot Road 664-2251; thegreenhalo.org Open: Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Green Med Wellness Center. 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road 520-281-1587; facebook.com/GreenMedWellnessCenter Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hana Green Valley. 1732 W. Duval Commerce Point Place 289-8030 Open: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Harvest of Tucson . 2734 East Grant Road 314-9420; askme@harvestinc.com; Harvestofaz. com Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily Nature Med. 5390 W. Ina Road 620-9123; naturemedinc.com Open: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily The Prime Leaf Two locations: 4220 E. Speedway Blvd.

1525 N. Park Ave. 44-PRIME; theprimeleaf.com Open: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Speedway location closed Wednesday; Park Ave. location closed Tuesday.

Purple Med Healing Center. 1010 S. Freeway, Ste. 130 398-7338; www.facebook.com/PurpleMedHealingCenter Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Southern Arizona Integrated Therapies. 112 S. Kolb Road 886-1003; medicalmarijuanaoftucson.com Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily Total Accountability Patient Care. 226 E. 4th St., Benson 586-8710; bensondispensary.com Open: Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 .m. to 7 p.m.

TIME TO GROW YOUR OWN 1-833-SEED-USA

WWW.CANNABIS-SEED.US

20

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Herman Hesse’s novel Siddartha is a story about a spiritual seeker who goes in search of illumination. Near the end of the quest, when Siddartha is purified and enlightened, he tells his friend, “I greatly needed sin, lust, vanity, the striving for goods, and the most shameful despair, to learn how to love the world, to stop comparing the world with any world that I wish for, with any perfection that I think up; I learned to let the world be as it is, and to love it and to belong to it gladly.” While I trust you won’t overdo the sinful stuff in the coming months, Aries, I hope you will reach a conclusion like Siddartha’s. The astrological omens suggest that 2021 is the best year ever for you to learn how to love your life and the world just as they are.

don’t worry about getting enough to eat. Just find an intact grocery store and make your new home there. It’s stocked with enough non-perishable food to feed you for 55 years—or 63 years if you’re willing to dine on pet food. I’M JOKING! JUST KIDDING! In fact, the apocalypse won’t happen for another 503 million years. My purpose in imagining such a loopy scenario is to nudge you to dissolve your scarcity thinking. Here’s the ironic fact of the matter for us Cancerians: If we indulge in fearful fantasies about running out of stuff—money, resources, love, or time—we undermine our efforts to have enough of what we need.

The time is now right for you to stop worrying and instead take robust action to ensure you’re well-supplied for a long time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus physicist Richard Feynman said, “If we want to solve a problem we have never solved before, we must leave the door to the unknown ajar.” That’s always good advice, but it’s especially apropos for you in the coming weeks. You are being given the interesting and fun opportunity to solve a problem you have never solved before! Be sure to leave the door to the unknown ajar. Clues and answers may come from unexpected sources.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Judge a moth by the beauty of its candle,” writes Coleman Barks in his rendering of a poem by Rumi. In accordance with astrological omens, I am invoking that thought as a useful metaphor for your life right now. How lovely and noble are the goals you’re pursuing? How exalted and bighearted are the dreams you’re focused on? If you find there are any less-than-beautiful aspects to your motivating symbols and ideals, now is a good time to make adjustments.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When we want to get a distinct look at a faint star, we must avert our eyes away from it just a little. If we look at it directly, it fades into invisibility. (There’s a scientific explanation for this phenomenon, which I won’t go into.) I propose that we make this your metaphor of power for the coming weeks. Proceed on the hypothesis that if you want to get glimpses of what’s in the distance or in the future, don’t gaze at it directly. Use the psychological version of your peripheral vision. And yes, now is a favorable time to seek those glimpses.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If the apocalypse happens and you’re the last human left on earth,

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I invite you to try the following experiment. Select two situations in your world that really need to be reinvented, and let every other glitch and annoyance just slide for now. Then meditate with tender ferocity on how best to get the transformations done. Summoning intense focus will generate what amounts to magic! PS: Maybe the desired reinventions would require other people to alter their behavior. But it’s also possible that your own behavior may need altering.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Marguerite Duras wrote these words: “That she had so completely

SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

I’m a 30-year-old straight woman in a three-year relationship with my live-in partner, who is also 30. I love him and he loves me and he wants to make a life with me. However, in this pandemic, the stress is so great that I have lost all desire to have sex. I don’t want anyone touching me right now, not even myself. I feel like I’m in survival mode. I lost the career I love and I’m working four different jobs to make up for it. I have also been coming to terms in therapy with a sexual trauma I suffered, which is making me want to be touched even less. He’s been extremely patient, and says that we can work

through it, but I’m really worried that this is the death knell for our relationship. I’m really trying to figure out ways to get myself back in good working order, Dan, but honestly I’m just trying to survive every day right now. Help?

—Witty Acronym Here First, you’re not alone. So many people have seen their libidos tank in response to the overlapping stresses of lockdowns and job losses that sex researchers are talking about (and documenting) a “pandemic sex recession.”

So what can you do?

recovered her sanity was a source of sadness to her. One should never be cured of one’s passion.”

I am spiritually allergic to that idea. It implies that our deepest passions are unavailable unless we’re insane, or at least disturbed. But in the world I aspire to live in, the opposite is true: Our passions thrive if we’re mentally healthy. We are best able to harness our most inspiring motivations if we’re feeing poised and stable. So I’m here to urge you to reject Duras’s perspective and embrace mine. The time has arrived for you to explore the mysteries of relaxing passion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Karen Barad writes, “The past is never finished. It cannot be wrapped up like a package, or a scrapbook; we never leave it and it never leaves us behind.” I agree. That’s why I can’t understand New Age teachers who advise us to “live in the now.” That’s impossible! We are always embedded in our histories. Everything we do is conditioned by our life story. I acknowledge that there’s value in trying to see the world afresh in each new moment. I’m a hearty advocate of adopting a “beginner’s mind.”

But to pretend we can completely shut off or escape the past is delusional and foolish. Thank you for listening to my rant, Scorpio. Now please spend quality time upgrading your love and appreciation for your own past. It’s time to celebrate where you have come from—and meditate on how your history affects who you are now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Luisah Teish is a writer and priestess in the Yoruban Lucumi tradition. She wrote a book called Jump Up: Seasonal Celebrations from the World’s Deep Traditions.

“Jump up” is a Caribbean phrase that refers to festive rituals and parties that feature “joyous music, laughter, food, and dancing.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re due for a phase infused with the “jump up” spirit. As Teish would say, it’s a time for “jumping, jamming, swinging, hopping, and kicking it.” I realize that in order to do this, you will have to work around the very necessary limitations imposed on us all by the pandemic. Do the best you can. Maybe make it a virtual or fantasy jump up. Maybe dance alone in the dark.

You have a long, hard slog in front of you, personally and professionally, and you need to carve out enough time and space for yourself to you get through this. And to do that you’re not just gonna need to reset your partner’s expectations for the duration of the pandemic and/or until you’re back on your feet again professionally and emotionally, you’re going to need to take his yes for an answer.

If he tells you he’s willing to tough/rub it out until you’re less stressed out, less overworked and less overwhelmed, and he’s not being passive aggressive about your lack of desire, then you should take him at his word. If he’s not trying to make you feel bad about the sex you aren’t having right now, WAH, don’t make

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Perhaps we should know better,” wrote poet Tony Hoagland, “but we keep on looking, thinking, and listening, hunting that singular book, theory, perception, or tonality that will unlock and liberate us.” It’s my duty to report, Capricorn, that there will most likely be no such singular magnificence for you in 2021. However, I’m happy to tell you that an accumulation of smaller treasures could ultimately lead to a substantial unlocking and liberation. For that to happen, you must be alert for and appreciate the small treasures, and patiently gather them in. (PS: Author Rebecca Solnit says, “We devour heaven in bites too small to be measured.” I say: The small bites of heaven you devour in the coming months will ultimately add up to being dramatically measurable.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Alice Walker writes, “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.❞ In the coming weeks, I hope you’ll adopt that way of thinking and apply it to every aspect of your perfectly imperfect body and mind and soul. I hope you’ll give the same generous blessing to the rest of the world, as well. This attitude is always wise to cultivate, of course, but it will be especially transformative for you in the coming weeks. It’s time to celebrate your gorgeous idiosyncrasies and eccentricities.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Though the bamboo forest is dense, water flows through it freely.” I offer that Zen saying just in time for you to adopt it as your metaphor of power. No matter how thick and complicated and impassable the terrain might appear to be in he coming weeks, I swear you’ll have a flair for finding a graceful path through it. All you have to do is imitate the consistency and flow of water. ■ Homework: What’s the important thing you forgot about that you really do need to remember sometime soon? FreeWillAstrology.com.

yourself feel bad about it.

There’s no guarantee your relationship will survive this (the pandemic), that (your crushing workload) or the other thing (the trauma you’re working through in therapy). Any one of those things or some other thing could wind up being the death knell for your relationship. But the only way to find out if your desire for your partner will kick back into gear post-pandemic, post-career-crisis and post-coming-to-termswith-past-sexual-trauma is to hang in there, WAH, and reassess once your past those posts. Will you two still be together once you’re out of survival mode?

Survive and find out. Good luck.

FEB. 4, 2021

I’m a 34-year-old straight woman dating a 32-year-old straight man. When we first met, we had both recently relocated to our hometown and were living with our parents. When we first started dating, things were great, however, the sex wasn’t mind-blowing. Foreplay was limited and he always jumped out of bed afterward. I thought this was probably due to the fact that while we had privacy, we were having sex at my parent’s house which isn’t particularly sexy. We finally moved in together nine months ago and now it feels like we’ve been married for decades. He almost always turns my sexual advances down.

And when we do have sex, it lasts about five minutes and I do all of the work and get ZERO satisfaction out of it. He will hold my hand on the couch but if I ask him to cuddle he acts like I am asking for a huge favor. I’ve explained to him I need to feel wanted and to have some kind of intimacy in this relationship.

And yet, despite the multiple conversations about how sexually, physically and emotionally unsatisfied I am, he has put in little effort. Otherwise, our relationship is great. We have fun together, I love him, I want to be with him, and we’ve talked about marriage and kids, but I also can’t live this way for the rest of my life. What can I expect from a man who is emotionally and physically unavailable?

—Intimate Needs That Involve Making A Team Effort A lifetime of frustration.

You wanna make the sex and physical intimacy work because so much else is working—it sounds like pretty much everything else is working—but you can’t make the sex and intimacy work if he’s not willing to work on it. And even if he was willing to work on it, INTIMATE, even if he was willing to make an effort sexually, there’s no guarantee that working on it will actually work. Some couples work on this shit for decades and get nowhere. Opening the relationship up might make it possible for you to have him and sexual satisfaction too—by getting sexual satisfaction elsewhere—but opening up a relationship also requires effort, INTIMATE, and effort clearly isn’t his thing. DTMFA. My fiancé and I (both male) have been together for six years. I am fully out but he is only out to his close friends and his mom. The rest of his family doesn’t know.

COURTESY ILLUSTRATION

His co-workers don’t know. I’ve met his family and co-workers who don’t know and played the “friend” and “roommate” and it kills me but he still won’t budge.

It’s also not like homosexuality is taboo in his family. He has a gay uncle and his uncle and his partner are invited to family holidays and welcomed with open arms. Is it even worth continuing this relationship?

—Feeling Insecure About Needlessly Closeted Engagement

Your fiancé has to choose: he can have you or he can have his closet but he can’t have both. It’s not about telling him what to do, FIANCE, it’s about setting boundaries around what you’re willing to do. And for the last six years you let him drag you back into the closet—you were willing to pretend to be his friend or his roommate—but you’re not willing to do that anymore. If he wants to have a life with you, he can choose to come out. If he’s not willing to come out, he’ll have to learn to live without you.

I wanted to say something about WEASS, the man with the HIV-positive boyfriend who was reluctant to disclose his status to a new sex partner. As someone who’s been HIV-positive and undetectable for almost 18 years, Dan, I’ve gone through a few different iterations of dealing with (or not) and disclosing my

status (or not). But starting about ten years ago it just seemed easier on my conscience to disclose my +/U status to my partners—that is, HIV-positive but undetectable and therefore not capable of infecting anyone. Even after nearly a decade of PrEP and decades of HIV education, my status still generates negative reactions ranging from guys declaring me “not clean” to guys accusing me of trying to spread the virus (which I literally can’t do) to guys rebuffing me in kinder ways. Even people on PrEP have gone from DTF to “no thanks” when I’ve disclosed. So based on my experiences, Dan, I don’t think that every potential hookup out there would react in an informed and rational way, not even guys on PrEP. —Undetectable Poz Fellow Relieved Over Not Telling Any Lies The man WEASS and his HIV-positive boyfriend were thinking about having a threesome might react negatively to the disclosure—that’s why I advised WEASS to sound this guy out before looping his BF into the conversation. If the guy reacts badly, WEASS can spare his boyfriend the grief. But if the guy reacts like an informed and rational gay grownup, UPFRONTAL, then WEASS should loop his boyfriend in.

After years of receiving oral sex from girlfriends who were careful to never

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 21

inflict any sort of pain on my testicles, I met a woman who wasn’t so careful.

For our fifth date, she came back to my place and we watched a movie. After the movie we began to kiss and soon she was making love to my stiff penis with her mouth while rather roughly massaging my testicles. However this came to be, I was liking it quite a bit. The more pressure she applied to my testicles, the harder my penis became. This has never happened to me in my 33 years of lovemaking! I actually asked her to squeeze my testicles harder and harder and I can honestly say my penis was harder than it has ever been. Against my better judgment, I asked her to squeeze my testicles as hard as she could. After several seconds of the most intense pressure she could provide, I had the most powerful orgasm I have ever had. All of a sudden, I was dizzy and my vision went black.

When I finally came back to reality, there was an extraordinary amount of come all over the place. She has made love to my penis dozens of times since in the same manner. My question: Will there be any physical complications to my newly discovered taste for this kind of play? I look forward to your response!

—This Exquisitely Sensuous Torment Enhances Sex Ball busting—the kink you stumbled on—is inherently risky, TESTES, in that you could actually rupture, aka “bust,” one or both of your balls.

Hence the name. But considering how much pleasure you’re deriving from this and considering how short life is and considering how long you’ve been sexually active and considering how little use you’re gonna get out of your balls once you’re dead, TESTES, I don’t see any reason why you should deprive yourself—at this stage—of this newly discovered sexual pleasure. Well, actually… I can see one reason why you might want to knock this off: when it comes to ball busting, TESTES, there’s no way to eliminate the risk of a physical complication that lands your sack in the emergency room and ER nurses and doctors have enough on their plates right now.

So maybe give your balls a break until after the pandemic is over and then go nuts. mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. www.savagelovecast.com

22

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

Comics

Crossword Answers P A R M

P L E A D D E I A P L

P A P A

B A R O N

G I N R U M M Y M A R M O T

T R A G INC R A U R B W S A E LTD R I I S A N L E S Y

R E L A C E

E A G L E

F O R V O O W N H I D

DISH Network $64.99 For 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/ mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote.

FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices.

Call today! 1-855-722-2290 (AzCAN) Applying for Social Security Disability or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-855-808-1674 FREE Consultation. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)] (AzCAN)

CLASSIFIED ADS Autos AUTO-ALL MAKES DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes.

Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup.

Call for details.

866-932-4184 (AzCan)

Personal Services BODY RUB JJJ FULL BODY RUB Best full body rub for men by a man. West Tucson. Ajo and Kinney. Privacy assured. 7AM to 7PM. In/Out calls available.

Darvin 520-404-0901.

No texts.

JJJ

J2J2J2J2J2J2J2J

COVID Precautions Taken Body Rub Ajo and Kinney area.

You all stop by and enjoy a stress free body rub by a man for a man. Private/Discreet.

Call or text Oliver: 520-358-7310

J2J2J2J2J2J2J2J

Employment HEALTHCARE TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months!

Call 866-459-5480.

(M-F 8am-6pm ET) (AzCAN)

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL Attention Active Duty & Military Veterans!

Begin a new career and earn your Degree at CTI! Online Computer & Medical training available for Veterans & Families! To learn more, call 855-626-7941 (M-F 8am-6pm ET) (AzCAN)

Announcements ANNOUCEMENTS Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts – Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees canceled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations.

Over 450 positive reviews.

Call 866-482-0406 (AzCAN)

SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies.

Get a quote within minutes.

Average savings of $444/year!

Call 855-602-7212!

(M-F 8am-8pm Central) (AzCAN) NETWORK ADS NEED NEW FLOORING? Call Empire Today® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring! Call Today! 877-5913539 (AzCAN) NEED NEW WINDOW TREATMENTS? Call Empire Today® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on blinds & shades. Call Today! 844-2473111 (AzCAN)

AT&T TV - The Best of Live & On-Demand On All Your Favorite Screens. CHOICE Package, $64.99/mo plus taxes for 12months. Premium Channels at No Charge for One Year! Anytime, anywhere.

Some restrictions apply. W/ 24-mo. agmt TV price higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $8.49/mo. is extra & applies. Call IVS 1-833-9671811 (AzCAN)

Advertising

S M A L L B U S I N E S S E S

E L S L I T T O E N R S S T P E U V M I E E

E M O T I CO N S

V I S A V I S

S H I E G LLC H A T S

E L E V E N

N I T E S

T A O S

W I N G E D I T

A R T S C E N E

R I O K E E N

Over $10K in debt?

Be debt free in 24-48 months.

Pay a fraction of what you owe.

A+ BBB rated.

Call National Debt Relief 866541-6885. (AzCAN)

WANTED Old Sportscars/ Convertibles: Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar, Triumph/ MG, Ferrari, Corvette & others! 1973 & OLDER! ANY condition! TOP $$ PAID! Call/ Text: Mike 520-977-1110.

I bring trailer & cash! (AzCAN)

Service Directory HANDYMAN

oooooooooo Handyman Service

Doors* Drywall* Painting Roof Repair/Coating* Hauling Coolers* Odd Repairs Minor Plumbing/Electrical* BBB Member. Visa & MasterCard accepted.

Not a licensed Contractor.

520-425-0845

Call 520-797-4384 to learn more about advertising

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 23

FEB. 4, 2021

CLASSIFIED ADS

1

ACROSS N.B.A. stat 4 Number of stripes on la bandera mexicana 8 Relay, e.g.

13 Oscar-winning actor for “Moonlight” and “Green Book” 14 Chew (out) 15 Actress Clarke of “Game of Thrones” 16 Rapper MC ___ 17 Plant that lacks true roots and leaves 18 Be surpassed by 19 Broker’s request for funds 21 Averts, with “off” 22 Product with the slogan “Trust the power within” 24 James Merritt ___, pioneer in American lithography 25 Modest 26 Digital currency 1

Catalytics, Starters, AC Pumps, Alternators, Radiators, Complete Cars & Trucks

520-999-0804

$CASH$ For ALL unwanted Cars, Trucks & SUVs Call anytime for quote FREE PROFESSIONAL REMOVAL

271-0546 New, Old, Running, or not!

Tucson and surrounding areas

Foot with a short part and a long part 29 Places to crash 30 Layer 31 Goes downhill 33 Game that’s 100% luck 36 ___-vivre (ability to live elegantly) 37 Modern know-it-all 38 Epic collapse 39 Literally, “way of the gods” 41 Capital of Italy’s Apulia region 42 Sums set aside, say 44 One of 64 divisions of Louisiana 46 Highlighter of tihs clue?

48 Certain tailored suit 49 Capital of Fiji 50 Not-so-great grade 51 Put together, as assets 52 Send off 53 Like Haydn’s Symphony No. 12 54 Squirming, maybe 55 Goes out with 56 Something to take or hang 28

DOWN Chicken ___ (certain entree, informally) 2 District attorney’s offering, maybe 3 Game with sets and runs 4 Diner or sleeper 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

10

11

12

33

34

35

21

22

23

25

26

28

24 27

29

30

31

32

36

37

38

39

41 44

9

42 45

40

43 46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

Adjust, as skates 6 Two under 7 Local economy makeup … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme 8 Faces of the digital age?

9 In relation to 10 Big roll 11 Informal times, in ads 12 New Mexico’s ___ Ski Valley 15 Legal limits?

20 Chow 23 Quantity equal to about seven glasses of wine 25 Minor market move 27 Shipload 29 :-( 31 Winner of a record 26 Oscars 5

Ab ___ (from the start) 33 Went forward without a plan 34 Manhattan’s SoHo has a noted one 35 Where swimmer Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds 36 “Flash Gordon” and others 37 Pine (for) 38 Woodchuck of the western U.S. 39 A one-hit Wonder he’s not 40 Violently temperamental sorts 41 Titan of industry 43 Froth 44 Old man 45 Shrouded 47 Razor-sharp 32

Worship Guide Get The Word Out! To advertise in your local Worship Directory,

Call 520 -797- 4384

24

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

FEB. 4, 2021

M E D I C A L M A R I J U A N A E V A L U AT I O N C E N T E R

Save M oney on Tax es!

Get Le gal Today !

$125IAL*

SPEOCNTH LONG! fee. s State AL**LeM xclude

• • • • •

Medical Card Holders

18+ Up to 2.5 Ounces of concentrate* Up to 2.5 ounces of flower* No potency limit on edibles HIPAA/Legal Protections to your rights

• • • • • •

Recreational

21+ No more than 10mg per serving on edibles No more than 100mg per package of edibles Limit 5 grams of Concentrate 24.5% tax on all purchases No Protections

WALK-INS WELCOME: OPEN MON-FRI UNTIL 6PM, SAT UNTIL 4PM

• Receive A Voucher With Every Certification!

• Choice of 1 Free 150mg Gummies or Syrup from Baked Bros.

TELEMEDICINE CERTIFICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE! GET LEGAL TODAY!

520-623-0

4120 E SPEEDWAY, TUCSON, AZ 85712

*Must have current medical records for monthly special