Tucson Weekly May 7, 2020 by Tucson Weekly

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The Coronavirus Collapse Our state and local governments are facing financial freefall By Jim Nintzel

CURRENTS: AZ Is Reopening, But Is it Safe To Go Out? CHOW: Hungry for Support

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MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7 2020 | VOL. 35, NO. 19

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

CONTENTS

COVID-19 ROUNDUP

Southern Arizona’s recent COVID-19 news

CURRENTS

Many Arizona businesses can reopen this week, but is the state headed for an upswing in COVID-19 cases as a result?

Caregivers can receieve on-the-job training after governor’s order

CHOW

Some local restaurants receive Paycheck Protection loans, but others remain out of luck

520 CANNABIS

After taking off the goggles, how bad are Harvest’s alleged indiscretions, really?

EDITOR’S NOTE

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? GOV. DOUG DUCEY HAS EXTENDED Arizona’s stay-at-home order through May 15, telling everyone to avoid unnecessary trips. But he is also allowing retail shops, salons and restaurants to reopen before that, so it’s more of a maybe-stay-athome order at this point. Everyone has their own personal level of acceptable risk, so I’m sure there are plenty of people who will be back at the barber and sitting down for a dinner, even if it means wearing a mask and being served by someone in a mask. But keep in mind that the virus continues to circulate and while cases haven’t spiraled out of control in Arizona, easing the stay-at-home order will likely mean the number of people who get infected will rise. Me, I’m gonna wait a few weeks and see how things go before I rush back to the mall. Elsewhere in the book, we look at the how the outbreak is going to hammer the budgets of the state, the City of Tucson, Pima County and the University of Arizona,

among others. The federal government has already sunk another $2 trillion in just a few months in an effort to sustain the economy through the pandemic and will undoubtedly be spending more; how much of that will be in the form of aid to the states remains to be seen. We’ve also got a roundup of last week’s COVID-19 news that we covered online; a look at some restaurant owners who actually got the loans from the Paycheck ProMEME OF THE WEEK tection Program; an analysis of a lawsuit filed against the largest marijuana dispensary operation in the state; and our usual cartoons, horoscopes, questions and answers about sex and other fun diversions in our pages. And, of course, since our paper is a bit thinner these days, you’ll find more breaking news at TucsonWeekly.com Stay healthy and stay well! — Jim Nintzel Executive Editor

Cover design by Ryan Dyson

Jaime Hood, General Manager, Ext. 12 jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com Casey Anderson, Ad Director/ Associate Publisher, Ext. 22 casey@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting, Ext. 13 claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist, Ext. 10 sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, Ext. 38 jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Logan Burtch-Buus, Managing Editor, Ext. 36 logan@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Associate Editor, Ext. 43 jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tara Foulkrod, Web Editor, Ext. 35 tara@tucsonlocalmedia.com Austin Counts, Staff Reporter, Ext. 37 austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Kathleen Kunz, Staff Reporter, Ext. 42 kathleen@tucsonlocalmedia.com Contributors: Lee Allen, Rob Brezsny, Max Cannon, Rand Carlson, Tom Danehy, Emily Dieckman, Bob Grimm, Andy Mosier, Xavier Omar Otero, Linda Ray, Margaret Regan, David Safier, Will Shortz, Jen Sorensen, Eric Swedlund, Mark Whittaker PRODUCTION David Abbott, Production Manager, Ext. 18 david@tucsonlocalmedia.com Louie Armendariz, Graphic Designer, Ext. 29 louie@tucsonlocalmedia.com Madison Wehr, Graphic Designer, Ext. 28 madison@tucsonlocalmedia.com Ryan Dyson, Graphic Designer, Ext. 26 ryand@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 Brek Montoya, Account Executive, Ext. 20 brek@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive, Ext. 27 tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com Liane White, Account Executive, Ext. 23, liane@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.

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.

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MAY 7, 2020

Southern Arizona

COVID-19

Roundup to result in a $16 million hit to Facilities & Administrative Expense Recovery; and various other losses in revenue along with new expenses related to the outbreak.

By Jim Nintzel jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com • The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona had topped 9,300 as of Tuesday, May 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County had seen 1,379 of the state’s 9,305 confirmed cases. The coronavirus had killed 395 people statewide, including 105 in Pima County, according to the report. In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 4,929. • Nationwide, more than 1.18 million people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which had killed an estimated 69,000 people as of Tuesday, May 5, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University. President Donald Trump, who said he didn’t expect more than 60,000 Americans to be killed by the coronavirus a few weeks ago, said at a Sunday Fox News town hall he expects the death toll to remain under 100,000. Meanwhile, The New York Times revealed that a recent forecast prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency predicted that by the end of May, the nation would see 200,000 new cases every day, with the death toll rising to 3,000 a day, up from the current 1,750. Trump administration officials said the report hadn’t been properly vetted by the White House cononavirus task force. The IHME model now predicts roughly 135,000 deaths in the United States by the beginning of August. • Gov. Doug Ducey’s extended his stay-at-home order through May 15, but modified it so retail stores that sell goods can begin reopening this week by appointment or with curbside pickup. Ducey will lift more restrictions on retail stores at the end of this week and will allow restaurants to reopen on Monday, May 11. Other businesses, such as gyms, theaters and barber shops, will remain shuttered for now. Ducey’s decision earned cautious support from local officials such as Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Pima County Supervisor

• Teachers and volunteers in the Amphi School District spread out last week to deliver congratulatory yard signs to graduating seniors. “We have to do things for these kids to make them feel special, and I’m hoping that the families see this is a small token of gratitude and love coming from our district and our teachers,” said CDO Principal Tara Bulleigh.

LOGAN BURTCH-BUUS

Left to right: Canyon del Oro High School teachers Camille Nicley and Jordan Castle, with Ironwood Ridge sophomore Haidyn Warner, install a congratulatory sign in the yard of a graduating senior. Ramón Valadez, but both Democrats urged Ducey to allow local communities to determine how and when it is safe to reopen business. Conservative state lawmakers expressed unhappiness that Ducey is not moving faster to allow more businesses to reopen, with state Rep. Mark Finchem of Oro Valley calling it “wholly unacceptable” and joining a group of lawmakers to curtail the governor’s emergency powers via a future ballot proposition. • The Ducey administration has launched a “testing blitz” with a plan of testing 10,000 to 20,000 people every weekend, with the first round launching on Saturday, May 2. Testing for the virus is key to safely reopening the state, but the Kaiser Family Foundation noted as of Monday, May 4, Arizona trailed every other state and the District of Columbia, having just tested 11.1 people

per 100,000 population. Arizona has tested just over 81,000 people, according to Kaiser. • University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said the university planned to resume face-to-face classes in the fall. The UA can expect a $250 million drop in revenue along with a significant drop in new enrollment of both in-state and out-of-state students, according to Robbins. In an email to faculty and staff, Robbins predicted a loss of $58.2 million in auxiliary income, including Intercollegiate Athletics; a decrease in philanthropic gifts and investment income from cash on hand, projected to result in a $54.8 million loss in revenue; a decrease of 11% in new in-state and 19% in new out-of-state undergraduate and graduate student enrollments, equivalent to an $18.7 million loss in revenue; a decrease in research activity projected

• Four employees of the Pima County Sheriff ’s Department tested positive for COVID-19. All four, including a correctional staff officer at Pima County Jail, were placed on pandemic leave. The jail staffer had been away from work for unrelated reasons and officials were confident he did not infect coworkers or jail detainees. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the county’s ongoing efforts to reduce the Pima County jail population. The average daily population was 1,428 as of last week. Before the pandemic, the jail had an ADP of around 1,900, according to April 25 memo from Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. Huckelberry said there has been a “rapid decline” in daily bookings since around March 11, and he hopes that future bookings will be only for those who are an “actual danger to our community.” A coalition of criminal justice agencies in the county have worked to reduce the number of people in jail for nonviolent, low level drug offenses for years. “It is ironic that all of our previous actions and activities associated with attempting to reduce our detention populations have been difficult,” Huckelberry wrote in his memo. “However, the COVID-19 pandemic has succeeded in what previously has been difficult to accomplish.” ■ —Additional reporting from Logan Burtch-Buus, Kathleen B. Kunz, Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner and Tara Foulkrod

MAY 7, 2020

CURRENTS

LOGAN BURTCH-BUUS

Open for business, if you dare.

TEST RUN

Many Arizona businesses can reopen this week, but is the state headed for an upswing in COVID-19 cases as a result? By Jim Nintzel jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com ARIZONA RETAIL SHOPS CAN reopen this week along with barber shops and beauty parlors, while restaurants and coffee shops can begin serving customers next week under a new plan from Gov. Doug Ducey. While Ducey has extended his stay-athome through May 15, he says he wants businesses to gradually reopen as long as they follow social-distancing and other guidelines. Customers and employees in barber shops will have to wear masks, for example, while restaurants will require employees to wear masks while interacting with customers, use digital or disposable menus and wash surfaces more often, among other requirements. Restaurants are also encouraged to maintain at least six feet between dining parties, while other reopening businesses should ensure their customers should maintain social distance from each other. “These habits we’ve acquired over the last 45 days will not be with us forever, but they will be with us for the time being,” Ducey said at last week’s press conference. Ducey cautioned that people vulnerable to COVID-19—older Arizonans and people with underlying health conditions—should avoid unnecessary trips and continue to exercise caution if they go out. And as of press time, the governor was still holding off on giving a green light to other businesses where people mingle or are other-

wise in close contact with one another, such as bars, movie theaters and gyms. But he is gradually allowing commerce to recommence following a month in which his stay-at-home order temporarily shuttered many businesses and required others to significantly reduce their operations. Ducey is under intense pressure to reopen the state. Republican lawmakers were extremely critical of his decision to extend the stay-at-home order last week, with state Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) calling it “wholly inappropriate” and Rep. Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa) trying to rally lawmakers to vote to end Ducey’s emergency declaration. (There’s little lawmakers can do, as they themselves left the Capitol halfway through the session in midMarch over fears of contracting COVID-19 and they have not returned to restart work.) Beyond the political pressure is the economic cost to people as well as the state. More than 400,000 people have applied for unemployment benefits and the job losses likely exceed that, as some workers who lost jobs were ineligible for the benefits or got fed up trying to complete their application. Businesses across the spectrum are struggling to stay alive. While some aid was available through the federal programs that offered low-interest and forgivable loans, many small business owners—especially mom-and-pop operators—are worried they won’t survive much longer if they can’t reopen.

As a result of lost sales and income taxes, the state could be looking at a billion-dollar deficit next year, although state budget forecasters have said they have so little data yet that they could be off by $500 million in either direction. Despite all that, a late April poll by Public Opinion Strategies showed that most Arizonans approved of Ducey’s effort to slow the outbreak. Roughly six in 10 voters thought his approach had been “just about right,” while 29 percent said he had “not gone far enough” and just 8 percent said he had “gone too far,” according to the poll of 600 registered voters. Even with the stay-at-home order, the infection has continued to spread across Arizona. In the week between Monday, April 27 and Monday, May 4, the number of confirmed cases in the state jumped from 6,717 to 8,919, while the death toll climbed from 275 to 362. (In Pima County, the number of confirmed cases between the same dates went from 1,164 to 1,346; deaths climbed from 76 to 89.) Ducey says he’s being guided by science and data, but he himself said at last week’s press conference that the data gathered during the month that the state has been shut down doesn’t show a trend. The number of new confirmed cases jumps up and down by the day, so it’s hard to see what’s an outlier and what’s a sign that things are getting better or worse. More than anything, it appears that with the stay-at-home order and social distancing, the state has more or less hit a plateau rather than a peak. Members of the medical community are wary of relaxing restrictions at this point. Dr. Joe Gerald, an associate professor in the UA’s Zuckerman College of Public Health who has been modeling COVID-19’s spread in community, warned in a report last week that “maintaining or increasing social distancing should remain our highest priority or we risk a resurgence fueled by these active cases.” But one of the most challenging things for anyone making decisions is the lack of data. Arizona is last in the country when it comes to testing, according to nationwide tracking by Johns Hopkins University, which notes that the state had only tested 11.1 people for every 100,000 residents as of May 4. Ducey last week announced a testing blitz over the next several weekends; the first day was Saturday, May 2. As Ducey takes the first steps toward reigniting Arizona’s economy, the state does not appear to be hitting some of the guidelines established by the Centers for

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Disease Control and Prevention before states should proceed with a phased return to business. The CDC guidelines call for a downward trajectory of influenza-related illnesses reported within a 14-day period and a downward trajectory of COVID-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period; a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period; and evidence that hospitals can treat all patients without crisis care and a robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing. Arizona has fortunately not hit any kind of crisis with the healthcare system and it’s now better prepared to handle a surge of cases, although there’s a constant call for more personal protective equipment. That means hospitals can treat COVID-19 patients without crisis care. But the number of newly infected patients has not fallen for two weeks. And, as mentioned above, the state trails the nation in testing. The upcoming testing blitz—aimed at testing 10,000 to 20,000 people each weekend—is designed to rapidly improve Arizona’s testing record and could lead to the downward trajectory in positive tests as a percentage of total tests that is called for in the CDC guidelines. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who closed bars and limited restaurant service in mid-March, well ahead of Ducey’s declaration of a state of emergency at the end of the month, offered cautious support for the governor’s action last week, praising him for extending his stay-at-home order but expressing concern about allowing sitdown service in restaurants. “What I’m concerned about is how we’re going to physically distance and how we’re going to deal with touchpoints that happen at restaurants,” Romero said. “But I’m willing to move in that direction for the benefit of small business owners in the city of Tucson.” Romero, along with Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ramón Valadez, called on Ducey to restore the power of local communities to develop their own criteria on allowing businesses to reopen. When he issued his executive order establishing a stay-at-home order, Ducey said local communities could go no further than the state in establishing regulations. Pima County has developed its own metrics based on the CDC guidelines: Decreasing positive cases over 14 days; CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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MAY 7, 2020

TEST RUN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

decreasing COVID-19 related-deaths over 14 days; decreasing symptomatic cases over 14 days; testing for all symptomatic patients; staffing and beds sufficient for twice the number of current COVID19 cases; sufficient personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and emergency responders; timely contact tracing; testing of symptomatic contacts; and facilities/support for patients who can’t be discharged home. Of those nine criteria, Pima County had only hit one of them as of Monday, May 4: There are enough staff and beds for twice the number of current cases. Otherwise, they are making progress in some areas. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has launched a Back to Business Task Force with representatives from county’s Small Business Commission as well as from restaurants, hotels and resorts, chambers of commerce, gyms, daycares, area attractions, film and live performance theaters and event centers, with the idea of developing best practices for keeping employees and customer safe when businesses reopen. But as long as Ducey is preventing local jurisdictions from enforc-

ing any measures more stringent than the state’s regulations, any strategies the county develops will just be guidelines. But there’s still the question of whether people will believe it’s safe to venture into shops and restaurants. “Government can give a green light, but if the public doesn’t believe it’s safe, they won’t be there,” Huckelberry said. Business owners themselves are now deciding whether it’s safe to reopen their shops. Fourth Avenue Merchants Association executive director Fred Ronstadt said he was “cautiously optimistic” that businesses in the shopping district could reopen without a new spike in cases. “We don’t want to be in a situation where the ruling authority, whether it be the state or the city, takes an action that would necessitate us to go back to where we are today,” Ronstadt said. “The cost of opening prematurely, closing, and then maybe opening again down the line is higher than waiting a little longer.” DeeDee Konen, co-owner of artistic doodad shop Pop Cycle on Fourth Avenue, said she planned to continue with online sales and curbside pickup at least through May 15. “We still think it’s a little premature to be opening as the numbers are still high,”

Konen said. “It doesn’t feel like it’s a good time to reopen the shop, so on May 15, we’re going to reevaluate and see how people are feeling, and may or may not implement by-appointment-only.” Lizzie Mead, owner of Fourth Avenue’s Silver Sea Jewelry, doesn’t plan to reopen until June because she had to move the majority of her merchandise after a person was caught on a security camera appearing to case her shop for a potential robbery. “I can’t move back in and move out again,” Mead said. “That’s what makes it super weird for me.” Restaurateurs are also having mixed emotions about reopening after Ducey announced restaurants could return to dine-in service on Monday, May 11, under new guidelines during Monday’s press conference. “The owner in me...the responsible owner that has to pay bills is like, ‘The faster, the better,’” said Chef Maria Mazon, owner of Boca Tacos y Tequila. “But the concerned citizen in me doesn’t want to risk my team, my customers or myself.” Ray Flores, owner of all things El Charro, said he was caught off-guard by the governor’s announcement. However the Flores family has been working on a 100-point plan for the past few weeks to address new

protocols and best sanitation practices for the day they could return to service, Flores said. “Our group is going to walk before we can run,” Flores said. “We want to make sure that our restaurants are ready for our guests and that our crew members are safe.” Arizona Pizza Company and Upper Crust Pizza owner Nick Heddings said he’s concerned about having to hire a dedicated employee whose sole purpose is to sanitize the seating area after each customer dines. While the practice may be standard at more formal restaurants, Heddings foresees issues in a fast casual restaurant environment. “It doesn’t take long to figure out all that (cost) comes straight out of my pocket and eventually the customer’s pocket,” Heddings said. With less than two months of data about the spread of the virus and how it infects people, there’s still much to learn about COVID-19. How widespread is it in our community? Does the summer heat keep it at bay? And does reopening the economy cause a new spike in cases? We’re about to find out. ■ Austin Counts contributed to this report.

MAY 7, 2020

THE CORONAVIRUS COLLAPSE The outbreak is putting state and local governments into financial freefall By Jim Nintzel jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com

billion—but added that they had so little data to work with that they could be off by $500 million in either direction. Much depends on how long the virus sticks THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK around, how much people will be willing has sent a wave of devastation though to spend when it passes and how long it the community. Beyond those who have takes people who lost their jobs to find fallen ill or been killed by the virus, hundreds of thousands of Arizonans have work. City Manager Michael Ortega told the lost their jobs and many businesses are Tucson City Council last month that it on the edge of collapse. was too early to say what kind of damNext, the virus will hit governments. age the city will absorb, but in a memo While tax collections tend to lag a bit, state and local officials are already antic- ahead of this week’s council meeting, he said he anticipated a 25 percent drop in ipating serious revenue shortfalls at the estimated revenues through the end of same time that demand for services will the fiscal year ending in June. Based on be on the rise. information from University of ArizoThe state of Arizona has a massive budget hole on the horizon. The Legisla- na economists, it appears the negative impact could be even greater than what ture’s Joint Legislative Budget Commitwe faced during the Great Recession of tee staff estimated in April that with so 2009, Ortega warned council members. many people out of work and so many The federal government has sent the businesses shut down, both income and city roughly $96 million through the sales taxes would plummet. They estiCARES Act to deal with unexpected mate the state could be facing a budget expenses directly related to the outbreak, shortfall in the neighborhood of $1.1

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rental taxes. Huckelberry noted in a memo to the Board of Supervisors that the outbreak will likely cost the county nearly $15 million in the current fiscal year and $26 million in the upcoming fiscal year in those state-shared dollars. He’s also expecting a drop of $4 million this fiscal year and $12 million in the next fiscal year in state-shared HURF funds that come from gas taxes and car registration fees. “I keep telling people, ‘This is not a fire drill,’” Huckelberry says. The University of Arizona is likewise anticipating a big hit. The upcoming football season is likely to be delayed or canceled and basketball remains up in the air. Both sports are major revenue generators for the university. On top of that, although Robbins has said the UA plans to resume face-to-face classes in the fall, the university projects a big drop in enrollment of out-of-state and international students. Combined with a reduction of other revenue streams and an increase in COVID-related expenses, Robbins said the UA can expect a $250 million budget shortfall. Whether more help will be forthcoming from the federal government remains to be seen. Democrats are pushing for a IMAGE BY RYAN DYSON new aid package to the states, but Senate but Mayor Regina Romero and council Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sugmembers have urged the federal govern- gested that states should consider “the ment to loosen the restrictions so the dol- bankruptcy route” instead. U.S. Sen. Marlars can also go to paying police officers, tha McSally hasn’t responded to quesfirefighters and others on the front line tions from the Arizona Republic and the battling the epidemic. AZ Mirror about whether she agrees with “Without flexibility in how we can McConnell, but in a teleconference with use these funds, I am concerned that we Skip Hall, the mayor of Surprise, Arizona, will have millions of dollars that will be McSally dismissed the idea of more aid sitting idly that could otherwise be used to states as an effort by “the left” to bail to maintain critical city services,” Rome- out cities such as Chicago and New York, ro said last month. “Our city budget is which she said had been mismanaged under enormous strain which is why it is with too much debt for decades. (Mccritical that any federal package includes Connell himself has since said that his additional support for local governments “bankruptcy route” comments were taken that are on the frontlines of fighting this out of context and suggested that he pandemic.” might consider more aid to the states if it Councilman Steve Kozachik echoed was combined with relief from coronavithose concerns. rus-related legal liability for business.) “With the restrictions the feds have But when it comes to financial hits, the placed on their support, it’s more like federal government is already absorbing they sent us the sleeves out of their vests a colossal blow: Congress has already than a life jacket,” Kozachik said. “We’ll spent $2 trillion on the response to the get it done but it will take sacrifice like outbreak—and is expected to spend more what we managed in 2011.” even as tax revenues decline, expanding Pima County Administrator Chuck the federal deficit past $3 trillion in the Huckelberry is expecting major impacts current fiscal year. ■ on the county budget as well. The county mostly relies on property taxes, but it Additional reporting from Austin does receive state-shared revenues based Counts and Jeff Gardner. on sales taxes, along with hotel and car

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MAY 7, 2020

SENIOR SUPPORT

Caregivers can receive on-the-job training after governor’s order

helps assisted living facilities like his to provide needed support to the most susceptible population to COVID-19 while offering a career-change to those ARIZONA ASSISTED LIVING who may have been recently laid off. New communities are gearing up to hire aspiring caregivers after Gov. Doug Ducey caregivers will start out between $13 to $18 hourly, depending on their experisigned an executive order last month allowing on-the-job training for caregiver ence, according to Briefer. The position also offers full medical, dental and vision certification amid an entry-level healthbenefits, 401K and paid-time-off. care worker shortage. “This takes away some of the obstaThe order requires potential caregivers cles to become a caregiver. One of the to complete 62 hours of training with hardest things about learning a new a licensed health care professional and career is finding the time and being able pass the Arizona Board of Nursing Care to make money while you’re sitting in a Institution Administrators and Assisted classroom,” Briefer said. “Hopefully this Living Facility Managers examination creates an opportunity for people to shift. with a score of 75 percent or better. “It provides a better opportunity to get If you were working in the restaurant industry and find yourself stuck, this is people trained,” said Andy Briefer, mana great opportunity to get involved with aging partner of Via Elegante Assisted healthcare.” Living and Memory Care Companies. Traditionally, caregivers must complete “We’ve been able to maintain our caregiv42 classroom hours and 20 eLearning ers, but it’s a struggle. It’s always hard.” hours at a healthcare career school with Briefer said Ducey’s executive order

By Austin Counts Austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

LOGAN BURTCH-BUUS

If you’re looking for a new career, caregivers are needed.

tuition costs upwards of $500. Under the new program, aspiring caregivers could nix tuition, but would still be required spend $65 for the state exam, $30 for a county food handlers certificate, $20 to be fingerprinted, and $67 for their Department of Public Safety Fingerprinting Card for a total of $182. CEO of Pima Medical Institute Fred Freedman said while he prefers classroom training, the executive order is necessary to meet the demand assisted living facilities are facing while trying to properly staff during this unprecedented time. “It’s really an emergency order based on the unprecedented need for the elderly, our most vulnerable population,” he said. “In a pre-COVID environment, I would say it’s not good to learn on-the-job for high tech skills in healthcare.” Freedman said the current caregiver staffing issues are happening nationwide as more COVID-19 cases are diagnosed each day. The industry was already suffering from a caregiver shortage due to low wages and stressful demands of the career. The pandemic has only made the situation worse, said Freedman. “There is no question this is a national situation and not local to Arizona. This pandemic has led to a severe shortage because people are scared to go into the nursing homes for a variety of reasons,” Freedman said. “There are people that have decided they would rather not put themselves in that perceived danger, thus creating more of a need than there was before.”

Rebeka McGee, vice president for health initiatives for Pima Council on Aging also believes while the executive order isn’t ideal, it’s needed to fill entry-level caregiver positions at a crucial time. “Overall we need to be flexible. As an industry, things have been changing so rapidly that it’s been a matter of looking at what works, and then taking a step back and evaluating that on a weekly basis,” McGee said. “The benefit is there’s a number of staff supervising them, all licensed healthcare professionals, as a part of the requirements and we’ll be evaluating (the program) as it happens.” McGee said her organization is currently developing certified nursing assistant and certified caregiver programs online materials for assisted living facilities to use while training caregivers during this time. They expect to launch their web-based learning programs on May 18, according to McGee. “We are looking forward to partnering with assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities across the area to see how we can support the best we can,” McGee said. Freedman doesn’t think the order will stay in effect for too long since it also has a revise or repeal stipulation to be considered by Ducey and staff every two weeks since being issued on April 14. “I don’t think anybody believes this is an ideal situation,” Freedman said. “I do think everybody will realize and agree more preparation is preferred over someone that’s learning on the job.” ■

MAY 7, 2020

CHOW

FEAST OR FAMINE

Some local restaurants receive Paycheck Protection loans, but others remain out of luck By Austin Counts austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND BARS are beginning to see the second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans arrive in their bank accounts as the Small Business Administration’s new program continues this week. Mat Cable, owner of Fresco Pizzeria and partner at Dante’s Fire, said he received his SBA confirmation lightning-fast after reapplying with WaFd Bank after a friend told Cable the bank was still accepting applications from businesses who didn’t have an account with them. Cable had filed his first application with his long-time bank, Wells Fargo. Within days both of his businesses’ PPP funding was confirmed. “I gave (WaFd) my information on a Thursday night. By 10 a.m. Friday morning they had me through underwriting,” Cable

JEN SORENSEN

said. “Then Dante’s applied and we got underwriting by Saturday and both companies were ready to submit. By noon on Monday we found out we got SBA money at Fresco and Dante’s got their confirmation on Tuesday.” Soon some of Cable’s other restaurateur friends, like Rocco’s Little Chicago owner Rocco Digrazia, also applied with WaFd and received confirmation within a day of submitting an application. “Three and a half hours after submitting the application, (WaFd) said they had an SBA number for me,” DiGrazia said. “It was for exactly the same amount I applied for at Chase.” As of May 1, nearly 44,000 Arizona small businesses were approved for PPP2 loans last week, totaling more than $3.7 billion, according to the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program Report: Second Round. Nationwide, more than two million PPP2 loans

have been disbursed over the past week, totaling nearly $176 billion. The federal government approved $310 billion for this second round of PPP loan funding in late April. But that doesn’t mean everybody from the first round of PPP has received their loan, said Arizona SBA senior area manager Stephen Hart. Many companies Hart deals with are still waiting. “The process is still going on for the previous round, so there are businesses who are getting these loans but many are still waiting. Most are still waiting, at least the ones I deal with,” Hart said. “I can’t speak for the banks, but I can tell you anecdotally folks are trying very hard to get through and it seems those lines are busy, too.” Hart said he recognizes the frustrations many small business owners locally—and nationally—are dealing with during the shutdown, especially as bars and restaurants remain shuttered and retail businesses attempt to reopen later this week. Many local businesses are still waiting to get approval from the first round of PPP loans that ran dry of $350 billion within the first week. “The process is requiring patience. People seem to understand this is a program that’s brand new, that nobody knew how to do it when it first came out,” Arizona SBA Senior Area Manager Stephen Hart said. “The process has improved somewhat over time, but that doesn’t necessarily make anyone feel better because they haven’t gotten their loans.” Independent Distillery owner Donald Northrup said he feels like he’s been proactive every step of the way while applying for the first round of PPP with Chase Bank. However, he is still waiting to find out if his business has been approved. The last status update he received from Chase happened on April 30—his application had finally been sent to the SBA. “We’re living in Groundhog Day,”

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Northrup said. “Every day you get up thinking, ‘OK, today is going to be the day where I’m going to get some new source of information that’s going to tell me what to do or how to do it,’” said Northrup. “Now we’re told it’s gone through (Chase’s) process and it’s been sent to the SBA for funding. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know how long it will take to get that money, but I know we don’t have it right now. Even if he gets a PPP loan, Northrup is concerned about how he will be able to use it within the eight-week time period, given that his bar is still shut down. Without selling beverages to-go or for delivery, it doesn’t qualify as an essential business. Under PPP guidelines, a business can be eligible for loan forgiveness as long as they spend 75 percent of the funds on payroll expenses. Retooling as a carryout or delivery service was never in Northrup’s business model. He also is unsure if staff would want to come back to work with the public during the pandemic when they’re making more on unemployment right now. “How are we going to use it in the eight weeks? I can’t even touch it until I get the OK to bring my staff back to work,” Northrup said. “The other side is, why would my staff want to come back to work when they’re making more on unemployment than they would be working? I can’t blame anyone in our industry for not wanting to go back to work.” SBA’s Hart said the eight-week clock “starts ticking upon receipt of the funds,” but only 75 percent of the funds received need to go toward payroll. The other 25 percent could go toward a business’ rent, utilities and interest on loans. “The funds are designed to help a business maintain their status as best as possible,” Hart said. “We’re very sympathetic as we’re neighbors, folks here in Southern Arizona are my neighbors and I would like to see things come through as fast as possible.” ■

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HIGH CRIMES?

After taking off the goggles, how bad are Harvest’s alleged indiscretions, really? By Nick Meyers tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com HARVEST HEALTH AND Recreation got hit with a couple lawsuits last week from former employees alleg-

ing a long list of compliance violations from storing cannabis products in the ceiling to selling CBD products exceeding THC limits in their lobby. Altogether, one lawsuit seems like a damning condemnation of Harvest’s business practices. But going through

the claims individually, they all sound like what you’d expect within the cannabis industry. Some of the violations have clear implications for patients, including shortcuts in labeling of Harvest’s Rainbow shake and claiming all their products are tested by a third party, which the lawsuit claims is false advertising. Other violations patients might miss having around, like recording all sales as flower, including edibles and concentrates, or recording flower sales as weighing nothing, allowing patients a little (or a lot) of leeway in their allotments. It does raise the question of how much oversight the Arizona Department of Health Services maintains over the industry if a store of the largest cannabis operator in the state—and contender for largest in the country—can get away with reporting only flower sales, and weightless at that. DHS compliance has been spotty for the industry in the past—especially when it comes to allotment records, which some in the industry consider understandable for budding corporations. While the DHS won’t look kindly on any violations it finds out about, stuff like where products get stored or chasing

down every employee who gets high isn’t really on their radar. Likely of more concern will be personnel concerns and the exact nature of the CBD product Harvest sold in its lobbies. Selling THC to the public is a bigger mistake than it seems Harvest would make, and DHS track down every dollar it’s owed for dispensary agent cards. Former new store opener and trainer Mollie McCurdy quit after several of the violations she noticed went unremedied and her concerns were met with laidback demeanor. She’s suing for several compensatory packages under wrongful termination. A human resources employee told McCurdy the company was “selling a dream that turned out to be a nightmare” to new hires, according to the lawsuit. Aside from the violations themselves, the lawsuit details other employees’ efforts to persuade McCurdy to overlook violations and break the law by working at dispensaries prior to receiving her dispensary agent identification. McCurdy leveled many of the claims at her former supervisor, director of retail Chantelle Elsner, who apparently called McCurdy—the person she hired to identify compliance violations—a “compliance

MAY 7, 2020

Nazi” and told her to “chill out.” But the lawsuit also paints a picture of, well, pretty much what you’d expect from people who work for one of the biggest cannabis companies in the country. The lawsuit mentions a group of individuals smoking a joint during a happy hour event and claims Harvest’s former director of events, Kimberly Owies, distributed medicated chocolate chips in ice cream at a “Grillin’ n’ Chillin’” event last summer. Imagine that. Cannabis at a dispensary party. A modicum of patients and industry workers think cannabis should be illegal in the first place. Sure, it’s the law, but let’s not forget why. The cannabis industry’s legal track record shows it’s the only industry Republicans want to regulate. This lawsuit could provide plenty of ammo against the industry in the upcoming elections and politically in the future. It’s important to implement consumer regulations to protect the $400-million industry’s 230,000 patients, but a lot of the pressure is an artefact of cannabis prohibitionists from last century.

Surely Budweiser cracks a few dozen kegs at the company Christmas party. The lawsuit details a conversation in Arkansas when McCurdy and several other employees traveled to Little Rock to open the city’s first dispensary. When McCurdy complained about not having a dispensary agent card to work in Arkansas, Owies told her to “bend a little.” Owies evoked the company’s former executive chairman of board Jason Vidadi who said, “the only people making money in the cannabis industry are the ones not in compliance,” according to the lawsuit. Coincidently, that same day, Arkansas police raided the home of one of Harvest’s managers who was apparently growing cannabis at home to help out with cultivation efforts. Though DHS might choose to make an example out of Harvest, this lawsuit alleges little that many of the industry’s employees might not see on a fairly regular basis. CEO Steve White told the Phoenix New Times “of course” the allegations would be denied. ■

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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): According to Aries author and mythologist Joseph Campbell, “The quest for fire occurred not because anyone knew what the practical uses for fire would be, but because it was fascinating.” He was referring to our early human ancestors, and how they stumbled upon a valuable addition to their culture because they were curious about a powerful phenomenon, not because they knew it would ultimately be so valuable. I invite you to be guided by a similar principle in the coming weeks, Aries. Unforeseen benefits may emerge during your investigation into flows and bursts that captivate your imagination. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious,” says businessperson and entrepreneur John Sculley. You Tauruses aren’t renowned for such foresight. It’s more likely to belong to Aries and Sagittarius people. Your tribe is more likely to specialize in doing the good work that turns others’ bright visions into practical realities. But this Year of the Coronavirus could be an exception to the general rule. In the past three months as well as in the next six months, many of you Bulls have been and will continue to be catching glimpses of interesting possibilities before they become obvious. Give yourself credit for this knack. Be alert for what it reveals. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): For 148 uninterrupted years, American militias and the American army waged a series of wars against the native peoples who lived on the continent before Europeans came. There were more than 70 conflicts that lasted from 1776 until 1924. If there is any long-term struggle or strife that even mildly resembles that situation in your own personal life, our Global Healing Crisis is a favorable time to call a truce and cultivate peace. Start now! It’s a ripe and propitious time to end hostilities that have gone on too long.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Novelist Marcel Proust was a sensitive, dreamy, emotional, self-protective, creative Cancerian. That may explain why he wasn’t a good soldier. During his service in the French army, he was ranked 73rd in a squad of 74. On the other hand, his majestically intricate seven-volume novel In Search of Lost Time is a masterpiece—one of the 20th century’s most influential literary works. In evaluating his success as a human being, should we emphasize his poor military performance and downplay his literary output? Of course not! Likewise, Cancerian, in the coming weeks I’d like to see you devote vigorous energy to appreciating what you do best and no energy at all to worrying about your inadequacies. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Fortune resists half-hearted prayers,” wrote the poet Ovid more than 2,000 years ago. I will add that Fortune also resists poorly formulated intentions, feeble vows, and sketchy plans—especially now, during an historical turning point when the world is undergoing massive transformations. Luckily, I don’t see those lapses being problems for you in the coming weeks, Leo. According to my analysis, you’re primed to be clear and precise. Your willpower should be working with lucid grace. You’ll have an enhanced ability to assess your assets and make smart plans for how to use them. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Last year the Baltimore Museum of Art announced it would acquire works exclusively from women artists in 2020. A male art critic complained, “That’s unfair to male artists.” Here’s my reply: Among major permanent art collections in the U.S. and Europe, the work of women makes up five percent of the total. So what the Baltimore Museum did is a righteous attempt to rectify the existing excess. It’s a just and fair way to address an unhealthy imbalance. In accordance with current omens and necessi-

SAVAGE LOVE AMAZED AND CONFUSED

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

I’ve been with the same amazing man a dozen years. We’ve had our ups and our downs, same as any other couple, but these days life is better than it ever has been for us. Except in the bedroom. A few years ago he started having fantasies about sucking dick. Specifically, he wanted to suck a small one because his is very big and he wanted to “service” a guy who’s less hung than he is. Which is fine except it’s now the only thing that gets him off. We seldom have sex since now because his obsession with sucking off a guy with a small dick makes me feel unattractive. I even let him suck a dude off

in front of me once and I didn’t enjoy it at all. He tells me he still finds me attractive but when we’re having sex the talk always goes to how he wants to take “warm and salty loads” down his throat. I’ve told him I’m not into it but he enjoys talking about it so much he can’t help himself. I thought by allowing him to live out his fantasy would help him “get over it,” so to speak, but that didn’t happen. So now we just don’t have sex except once every few months. I’m not sure how to make him see that it’s just not my thing and to get the focus back on just the two of us. —Loves Obsesses About Dick Sucking

ties, Virgo, I encourage you to perform a comparable correction in your personal sphere. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the course of my life, I’ve met many sharp thinkers with advanced degrees from fine universities—who are nonetheless stunted in their emotional intelligence. They may quote Shakespeare and discourse on quantum physics and explain the difference between the philosophies of Kant and Hegel, and yet have less skill in understanding the inner workings of human beings or in creating vibrant intimate relationships. Yet most of these folks are not extreme outliers. I’ve found that virtually all of us are smarter in our heads than we are in our hearts. The good news, Libra, is that our current Global Healing Crisis is an excellent time for you to play catch up. Do what poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti suggests: “Make your mind learn its way around the heart.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Aphorist Aaron Haspel writes, “The less you are contradicted, the stupider you become. The more powerful you become, the less you are contradicted.” Let’s discuss how this counsel might be useful to you in the coming weeks. First of all, I suspect you will be countered and challenged more than usual, which will offer you rich opportunities to become smarter. Secondly, I believe you will become more powerful as long as you don’t try to stop or discourage the influences that contradict you. In other words, you’ll grow your personal authority and influence to the degree that you welcome opinions and perspectives that are not identical to yours. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “It’s always too early to quit,” wrote author Norman Vincent Peale. We should put his words into perspective, though. He preached “the power of positive thinking.” He was relentless in his insistence that we can and should transcend discouragement and disappointment. So we should consider the possibility that he was overly enthusiastic in his implication that we should NEVER give up. What do you think, Sagittarius? I’m guessing this will be an important question for you to consider in the coming weeks. It may be time to re-evaluate

If you can look at your husband and think, “Things are better than ever!”, despite the dismal state of your sex life, LOADS, I hate to think what life with him used to be like. There’s not an easy fix here. If you’ve already told your husband the “warm and salty load” talk is a turn-off and made it clear it’s the reason your sex life has pretty much collapsed and nevertheless he persists with the “warm and salty load” talk, well, then your husband is telling you would he would rather not have sex than have sex without talking about warm and salty loads. Now I’m assuming that you actually told him how you feel, LOADS, in clear and unambiguous terms and that you

your previous thoughts on the matter and come up with a fresh perspective. For example, maybe it’s right to give up on one project if it enables you to persevere in another. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The 16-century mystic nun Saint Teresa of Avila was renowned for being overcome with rapture during her spiritual devotions. At times she experienced such profound bliss through her union with God that she levitated off the ground. “Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction,” she wrote. I hope that you will be periodically moving in that direction yourself during the coming weeks, Capricorn. Although it may seem odd advice to receive during our Global Healing Crisis, I really believe you should make appointments with euphoria, delight, and enchantment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Grammy-winning musician and composer Pharrell Williams has expertise in the creative process. “If someone asks me what inspires me,” he testifies, “I always say, ‘That which is missing.’” According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you would benefit from making that your motto in the coming weeks. Our Global Healing Crisis is a favorable time to discover what’s absent or empty or blank about your life, and then learn all you can from exploring it. I think you’ll be glad to be shown what you didn’t consciously realize was lost, omitted, or lacking. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “I am doing my best to not become a museum of myself,” declares poet Natalie Diaz. I think she means that she wants to avoid defining herself entirely by her past. She is exploring tricks that will help her keep from relying so much on her old accomplishments that she neglects to keep growing. Her goal is to be free of her history, not to be weighed down and limited by it. These would be worthy goals for you to work on in the coming weeks, Pisces. What would your first step be? ■ Experiment: To begin the next momentous healing, tell the simple, brave, and humble truth about yourself. Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

said what you needed to say emphatically. And by “emphatically,” LOADS, I mean, “repeatedly and at the top of your lungs.” If not—if you’re doing that thing women are socialized to do, i.e. if you’re downplaying the severity of your displeasure in a misguided effort to spare your husband’s feelings—then you need to get emphatic. Sometimes it’s not enough to tell, LOADS, sometimes you have to yell. You’re obviously GGG—you’re good, giving, and game—but your husband has taken you for granted and been almost unbelievably inconsiderate. Because even if he needs to think about sucking dick to get off, LOADS, he doesn’t need to verbalize that fantasy each and

MAY 7, 2020

every time you fuck. Even if you were into it, which you’re not, it would get tedious. And it wasn’t just selfish of him to ignore how you felt, LOADS, it was shortsighted. Because women who are willing let their husbands talk about wanting to suck a dick—much less suck a dick—aren’t exactly easy to come by. I guess what I’m trying to say, LOADS, is that your husband really blew it. If he hadn’t allowed this obsession to completely dominate your sex life—if he’d made some small effort to control himself—you might’ve been willing to let him act on his fantasy more than once. But as things stand now, it’s hard to see how you come back from this, LOADS, because even if can manage to STFU about warm and salty loads long enough to fuck you, you’re going to know he’s thinking about warm and salty loads. So the most plausible solution here—assuming that you want to stay married to this guy—would be for him to go suck little dicks (once circumstances allow) while you get some decent sex elsewhere (ditto). Finally, a lot of vanilla people think—erroneously—that acting on kink will somehow get it out a kinky person’s system. That’s not the way kinks work. Kinks are hardwired and kinky people wanna act on their kinks again and again for the exact same

reason vanilla people wanna do vanilla things again and again: because it turns them on. I have what most people would consider an amazing life. I have two healthy kids, financial security, a stable career, and a husband who is the exact partner I could ever want. I really couldn’t ask for more. I just have one issue: my husband wants to be intimate more often than I do. We are both nearing 40, and his libido has not slowed down. I, on the other hand, due to a combination of being busy with work and us both taking care of the kids (especially during the lockdown), find myself with a decreased sexual drive. Because of all my (and our) obligations, I find myself alternating between a state of tiredness, anxiousness or distraction, none of which get me “in the mood.” We’ve talked about the situation, and he is absolutely respectful when we do so, but he has made it clear he’s very frustrated. I think once a week is more than enough and he could go multiple times a day. It’s to the point where he feels he’s begging just to fit some “us” time into our lives, which he says makes him feel undesirable and humiliated. There isn’t anything wrong with him that leaves me not wanting to engage in physical intimacy, we just seem to have different physical intimacy

schedules, and it’s putting a serious strain on our relationship. How can we work to find a comfortable middle ground, or at the absolute least, help me explain to him why I’m not as randy as he is? —Completely Lost In Tacoma You don’t need to craft an elaborate explanation, CLIT, as what’s going on here is pretty simple: your husband has a high libido and you have a low one. What you need is a reasonable accommodation. Opening up your marriage obviously isn’t an option right now, CLIT, and it might not be an option you would’ve considered even if it were possible for your husband to find an outlet (or inlet) elsewhere. But there is something you can do. Your husband is doubtless jacking off a lot to relieve the pressure. If there’s something he enjoys that you don’t find physically taxing and if he promises not to pressure you to upgrade to intercourse in the moment, then you could enhance his masturbatory routine. Does he like it when you sit on his face? Then sit on his face— you can even keep your clothes on—while he rubs one out. Does he love your tits? Let him look at them while he beats off. Is he a little kinky? It doesn’t take that long to piss on someone in the tub and it wouldn’t

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mean adding something to your already packed schedule, CLIT, as you have to find time to piss anyway. It would be unreasonable of your husband to expect sex three times a day—that would be an irrational expectation even if you were childless and independently wealthy—but your husband isn’t asking you to fuck him three times a day. He wants a little more sexual activity, some erotic affirmation, and more couple time. Giving him an assist while he masturbates ticks all those boxes. That said, this will only work if your husband solemnly vows never to initiate intercourse during an assisted masturbation session. If you catch a groove and start feeling horny and wanna upgrade to intercourse, you should. But he needs to let you lead because if he starts pressuring you for sex when you’re just there to assist then you’re going to be reluctant to help him out. If he can follow that one rule, CLIT, you’ll feel more connected and you’ll probably wind up having more PIV/PIB/PIM sex—maybe twice a week instead of once a week—but it will be sex you both want. ■ On this week’s Savage Lovecast, yes it IS possible to be both horny and depressed. Also, hear the tale of intrepid mountain climbers, and what they can do in their harnesses. www. savagelovecast.com.

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MAY 7, 2020

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Graphic in a weather report 4 High-hat 9 Places for to-do lists 14 Potential resource on an asteroid 15 Dessert not for the diet-conscious 16 Things to memorize 17 Social media fad that went viral in 2014 20 Animal also called a zebra giraffe 21 Jack of “Rio Lobo” 22 “OMG, that is soooo funny!” 24 Large-beaked bird found in Africa 28 Only card of its suit in a hand 30 Certain public transports 32 Certain public transport 33 Golfer Aoki 34 Medal for bravery, perhaps 37 Network with the alltime greatest number of Emmys 38 Ado 39 Run a fever, say 40 “There it is!” 1

41 Say “Yes, I did it” 44 Made, as one’s case 45 Philip who wrote

informally Fancy-schmancy language … or the contents of some special squares in this puzzle 63 Love to death 64 Bloke 65 Chaotic situation, metaphorically 66 Jabber? 67 Analyze, in a way 68 Top of a wizard’s staff

Response when playing innocent 2 Gas brand that’s also a musical direction 3 Something not to do before Christmas? 4 Trample 5 Untagged 6 Elf’s evil counterpart 7 Whence the phrase “wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” 8 Relative of turquoise 9 Tryst locale 10 Part of a diner showcase 11 ___ Wilson, lead singer of Heart 12 M.B.A., e.g.: Abbr. 13 Glasgow-to-Liverpool dir. 1

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Cowpoke “Well, ___-di-dah!” Animal often with a “mask” around its eyes 25 Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 26 Christmas, in Italy 27 TV host once with an “Explaining Jokes to Idiots” segment 28 Places where business is picking up? 29 Append 31 Slowpokes 33 Abbr. on a bank statement 34 Manhattan, e.g.: Abbr. 35 Spot on the face, informally 36 Dope 38 Manhattan, for one 18 19 23

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“American Pastoral”

46 Up to 47 Poet’s contraction 48 Poke around 50 Old PC software 52 Sandwich alternative 54 “Star Wars” droid,

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