Tucson Weekly April 2, 2020 by Tucson Weekly

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We Don’t Know Who Has the Virus

We Don’t Know How Long It Will Be Here

We Do Know It’s Gonna Get Worse

Why We Must Crush the Curve Now

CURRENTS: RIP, Richard Élias | CHOW: Truckers at Triple T | TUCSON SALVAGE: Homeless at Circle K

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SURVIVING THE OUTBREAK What To Do If You’re Sick Where To Feed Your Kids While School Is Out How To Find Emergency Childcare When To Shop If You’re a Senior Where To Find Food Assistance Where To Look for a Biz Loan How To Help Others in This Time of Need Where To Still See Art And More!

During times of crisis, independent journalism is more important than ever.

The impact of the census on our community

Page 2 March 27, 2020 Volume 28 • Number 7

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To our readers

Grappling with COVID-19 How are local restaurants surviving the shutdown? By Austin Counts Inside Tucson Business

Page 6

—Jason Joseph, President/Publisher

REAL ESTATE

TECH TALK

Rio Nuevo revises $72.5 million Bautista development deal Page 4

Nourishment in space, photographing electrons and more Page 8

Local Preparedness How does Tucson stack up against COVID-19?

EXPLORER The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson

March 25, 2020

Keeping The Lights On

Local utility companies suspend shutoffs during Coronavirus crisis | Page 10

MARANA CARES

INSIDE

Childcare Concerns

Marana Unified School District busdriver Alvin Ramsey hands out a ‘grab-and-go’ meal to children at the Marana Cares Mobile traveling eatery. The remodeled school bus is equipped to provide meals to students, and will operate as long as schools are closed. For more information on Marana Cares Mobile, and where to find it, visit maranausd.org/ mcm.

Keeping kids safe |Page 4

Restaurant Woes

Logan Burtch-Buus

Eateries limited to takeout and delivery |Page 8

How does Tucson stack up against COVID-19?

Live Streaming

WaveLab to host local musicians |Page 13

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ong before mass restaurant closures and event cancellations, the World Health Organization described an ongoing “infodemic” about COVID-19, citing a massive amount of both true and false information online that “makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when

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they need it.” We spoke with local health experts to get to the bottom of some of the biggest questions related to the ongoing pandemic: How does it differ from the flu? Can ibuprofen worsen symptoms? How long does the virus remain on surfaces? Is Tucson particularly susceptible? “The novel coronavirus strain is just that: a new strain of coronavirus. There are lots of coronaviruses,

most notably the virus that causes the common cold. So coronaviruses are not new, but this strain is new, and that’s why it’s so different than what we’re used to,” said Aaron Pacheco of the Pima County Health Department. While often compared to the flu, COVID-19 differs in a few key ways. Perhaps most importantly: there is

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Volume 27 • Number 13

To our readers

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MARANANEWS The Voice of Marana since 2007

March 25, 2020

Volume 27 • Number 13

To our readers

Keeping The Lights On

irst and most important: I hope that you and your loved ones are safe during these difficult times. Please be sure to heed the advice of the health care experts and make sure to check in with family, friends and neighbors. At Tucson Local Media, we are committed to bringing you the news and information as quickly as we can during these unprecedented times for everyone in our communities. Marana Unified School District The majority of our staff is curbusdriver Alvin Ramsey hands out a ‘grab-and-go’ meal to rently working remotely. Our team children at the Marana Cares of reporters and editors are on the Mobile traveling eatery. The phones continually throughout remodeled school bus is the day with city and state officials, equipped to provide meals to school officials, community orgastudents, and will operate as nizations, small and large businesslong as schools are closed. For es and nonprofit organizations to more information on Marana bring you the most current up to Cares Mobile, and where to date information. find it, visit maranausd.org/ Small businesses in any commumcm. nity are the lifeblood of our everyday Logan Burtch-Buus lives. Please continue supporting those businesses in any way you can. Please don't hesitate contacting us at 797-4384 or emailing us at tucmost notably the virus that causes soneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com the common cold. So coronaviruses with any tips or suggestions of things are not new, but this strain is new, happening in your community. and that’s why it’s so different than From all of us at Tucson Local what we’re used to,” said Aaron Pa- Media: Thank you for supporting us. checo of the Pima County Health Department. —Jason Joseph, While often compared to the flu, President/Publisher COVID-19 differs in a few key ways.

Local utility companies suspend shutoffs during Coronavirus crisis | Page 10

MARANA CARES

INSIDE

Childcare Concerns

Keeping kids safe |Page 4

Restaurant Woes

Eateries limited to takeout and delivery |Page 8

How does Tucson stack up against COVID-19?

Live Streaming

WaveLab to host local musicians |Page 13

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

272,000 4BD/3BA + Loft

9156 N Palm Brook Drive, Tucson, AZ 85743

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they need it.” We spoke with local health experts to get to the bottom of some of the biggest questions related to the ongoing pandemic: How does it differ from the flu? Can ibuprofen worsen symptoms? How long does the virus remain on surfaces? Is Tucson particularly susceptible? “The novel coronavirus strain is Perhaps most importantly: there is just that: a new strain of coronaviSee COVID-19, P6 rus. There are lots of coronaviruses,

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(1,855 sq ft) corner lot home w/pool size yard & views! MLS 22006042

Lisa Bayless | 520-668-8293 Lisab@LongRealty.com TOP 1% OF ALL LONG AGENTS

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Questions?

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The Big Resource List | Page 2 • School’s Are Still Feeding Students | Page 4 • The Search For Child Care | Page 6

FOOTHILLS NEWS April 1, 2020 • Volume 10 • Number 7 • www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

COVID-19 Resource Guide How to keep your kids occupied, your pantries full and your rent paid through the pandemic

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April 2020

DESERT TIMES The Voice of Southwest Tucson

Volume 33 • Number 4

Looking for up-to-date COVID-19 Coverage? Go online to Tucsonlocalmedia.com for breaking stories and updates

FOOD DRIVE

INSIDE

Interfaith Community Services Faith and Community Outreach Manager Lauryn Valladarez loads donated food and cleaning supplies into an ICS van parked at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. The nonprofit is hosting shortnotice food drives throughout the Greater Tucson Metro Area in order to keep its food bank full of supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resource Guide

How to keep your kids busy, and your pantry full during shutdowns |Page 4

Drexel Heights

Water safety protects the whole family |Page 5

Childcare Woes

Watching out for the little ones |Page 6

Empty Tables

How restaurants are weathering the storm |Page 10

Logan Burtch-Buus

Pima County extends business closures, restaurant restrictions through April 10 Kathleen B. Kunz Tucson Local Media

s the number of COVID-19 cases in Pima County continues to rise each day, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to extend their mandate on the closure of all movie theaters, gyms, restaurants, bars and other places where people gather in unincorporated parts of the county.

Restaurants are still allowed to operate through take-out or drive-thru service only. The closure was supposed to last until Tuesday, March 31, but the supervisors held an emergency meeting on March 26 to extend it to Friday, April 10. Democratic Supervisors Richard Elías, Sharon Bronson and Ramón Valadez voted in favor, while Republican Supervisors Ally Miller and

Steve Christy voted against it. The move follows Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman’s order to close all K-12 public schools through April 10. Miller and Christy were opposed to the idea of closing businesses last week. They called the measure “draconian” and said it would cause See CLOSURES, P9

To our readers

APRIL 2, 2020

APRIL 2, 2020 | VOL. 35, NO. 14

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

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

CONTENTS CURRENTS

The future of the pandemic and why it’s so hard to predict

CHOW

The Triple T Truckstop stands ready to aid drivers who keep the nation’s supply chains turning

CITY WEEK

Our COVID-19 resource list

ARTS

Ensuring the health of our theatres during and after COVID-19

CINEMA

EDITOR’S NOTE

MUSIC

Jacob Acosta records an album about COVID19 as it unfolds

Casey Anderson, Ad Director/ Associate Publisher, Ext. 22 casey@tucsonlocalmedia.com

We Need Your Help

FIRST OF ALL, STAY HOME IF YOU can. For the next few weeks, we need to find out how widespread COVID-19 is in our community. And since we don’t know, the safest thing for everyone is to limit our contact with others. Mayor Regina Romero has asked you to; Gov. Doug Ducey has asked you to; health experts have asked you to. I get into the reasons on Page 4, but here’s the reason in the proverbial nutshell: This bug is going to overwhelm our healthcare system if we don’t slow it down. But that order to stay home creates serious problems for many in the community. Our children’s schools have closed. Our concert venues have gone dark. Our bars have been shuttered and our restaurants are limited to take-out service. Many of our small businesses are being pushed to the absolute limit. The Tucson Weekly is not immune to these forces. Much of our revenue is based on bringing people together. So until we can come together again, our independent news organization needs your help. If you see a value in what Tucson Weekly does for our community, we are asking you to please consider a donation to our efforts. While our paper and websites remain free, many of our advertisers are struggling and cannot support us as they have in the past, so we are turning to the community. (Please note

Claudine Sowards, Accounting, Ext. 13 claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

that we are not a nonprofit, so your donation is not tax-deductible.) Visit TucsonWeekly. com for details on how you can help us out and thanks for your consideration. In the book this week, we bring you news on this developing crisis: Tucson Salvage columnist Brian Smith spends an afternoon at a Circle K, where the homeless regulars don’t appear concerned about any virus; columnist Tom Danehy reflects on life in a pandemic while in line to buy toilet paper; associate editor Jeff Gardner explains why predicting how long the pandemic will last is so challenging; staff reporter Austin Counts memorializes Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, who died suddenly last weekend of an apparent heart attack; Cannabis 520 colunist Nick Meyers looks at how the outbreak is affecting dispensaries; and calendar editor Emily Dieckman turns City Week into a listing of resources during these times of trouble. Plus, we let you know about what films you can stream to support the Loft Cinema and the new outbreak-inspired music Jacob Acosta is creating. And we still have Dan Savage’s sex column, Rob Brezsny’s astrology column, our crossword puzzle and all our fine comics. See you on Zoom!

Cover by Ryan Dyson

While the Loft Cinema is closed as a physical theater, the nonprofit is doing what it does best: creatively addressing a crisis

Jaime Hood, General Manager, Ext. 12 jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com

— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor

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.

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APRIL 2, 2020

THE SKINNY

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JUST STAY AT HOME

Keep Yourself, Your Family and Your Community Safe From This Outbreak

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WHEN EVERYONE FROM GOV. Doug Ducey to Mayor Regina Romero is telling you the same thing, you should listen. Tucson, it’s time to stay home. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that is raging across cities in the United States and across the globe, is a diabolical killer. Symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear and in some cases, carriers may be entirely asymptomatic, so many people may be transmitting it without even knowing it. We know it is here. We know our cases are growing every day; as of Tuesday, March 31, Pima County had 202 of Arizona’s 1,289 confirmed cases. And thanks to a lack of test kits, those confirmed cases surely underestimate the actual number of infected people. The virus had killed six Pima County residents as of Tuesday; 24 are dead across the state. We’ve already seen one horror story this week: Sapphire of Tucson, a nursing home and rehabilitation center on Tucson’s south side, announced this week that 27 of its residents and staff were confirmed to have coronavirus. Staying home and avoiding contact with your fellow Tucsonans will slow the spread. That’s why Romero—who has been ahead of other local jurisdictions and the state every step of the way—ordered many Tucson businesses closed over the weekend. As she put: “COVID-19 is not waiting and neither can we.” It’s why Ducey laid down his own “stay at home” order on Monday, March 30, telling Arizonans to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings. And while that was a good step, Ducey should certainly extend his order and reduce the number of businesses he has deemed essential; there’s no reason we can’t go a few weeks without a haircut or a game of golf. As much as those things are a comfort, stopping the spread of this highly infectious disease is

the priority. Slowing the spread—or flattening the curve—is a priority because we have already witnessed what happens when the virus gets out of control in places such as New York City, San Francisco and Seattle: It overwhelms the healthcare system. The healthcare system is simply not set up to handle a pandemic of this nature. While hospitals are preparing as they best they can, following orders by Gov. Doug Ducey to eliminate elective surgery and otherwise clear space for COVID-19 patients, they are woefully short of protective gear. Last week, Pima County Health Department Director Bob England warned that even after Pima County got its share from the state’s first shipment from the National Strategic Reserve, there wasn’t nearly enough equipment. When the county tried to respond to the requests of local hospitals, they discovered they could only deliver 9 percent of the surgical masks, 3 percent of the goggles and face shields, and 2 percent of the gloves and only 1 percent of the gloves. “It was just a pathetic drop in the bucket compared to the need,” England said. Likewise, Pima County health officials struggled last week just to track cases through testing. Although test kits are now available, the new snag was a lack of proper swabs and test tubes to safely collect samples. The looming crush on local hospitals is easy to predict. “What we are seeing in NYC hospitals can and will happen right here in Southern Arizona several weeks from now without swift action by our federal, state and local leaders,” said Matt Heinz, an emergency room doctor and former state lawmaker who worked on the domestic planning efforts to combat Ebola during a stint at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration. This is going to be hard for many of us. We’ve already seen what’s happening with so many small businesses—restaurants are hanging by their fingernails as they shift to delivery services. Bars are closed. Shops have few if any customers. Local concerts are on hold for the fore-

seeable future. Local theaters have gone dark. Hotels are empty. Businesses that depends on tourism are facing a rougher challenge than any they have ever faced. Many people have already lost their jobs. Many more will before this is over. I am not minimizing any of that—and even a $2 trillion federal relief package won’t be making everyone whole when this is over. Despite those terrible consequences—which will be with us long after COVID-19 is put behind us—I am joining those who are telling you to stay home and keep your family safe. For as long as I’ve worked at the Tucson Weekly, I never dreamed I’d be telling people to stay home. We spend every edition telling you to go see Calexico at the Rialto or Parasite at The Loft or the Go

JEN SORENSEN

Figure show at Etherton Gallery or The Legend of Georgia McBride at Arizona Theatre or…well, the list goes on. And I can’t wait to be back in the business of telling you all about the wonders of our little burg—and its dirty little secrets, too. But for now, I’m joining those urging you to stop going out. It’s gonna be tough. People are going to take a huge hit. Not all of us are coming out the other side. But the best way to ensure more of us are together when this is over is to remain in your home unless you need to make a trip or take a walk to get some exercise— and when you do, maintain your social distance. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Stay home. ■

APRIL 2, 2020

COURTESY PHOTO

TRACKING THE VIRUS

The future of the pandemic and why it’s so hard to predict By Jeff Gardner jeff @tucsonlocalmedia.com IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHEN WE can all get back to normal, we have some bad news for you: Nobody really knows for sure. That’s because the United States, in its modern history, has never faced a highly infectious disease such as the COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that is now spreading through our community. But there are some guesses as to how this is going to go. Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona Department of Health Services director, said in a press briefing that Arizona’s COVID-19 outbreak could peak in April, with the greatest pressure on hospitals in May. But given the lack of data thanks to limited testing, it’s impossible to say how many Arizonans are already infected with the virus. “The last several weeks of April will be a critical time for us in understanding whether we’ve gotten a handle on this disease or not,” said Joe Gerald, health services researcher and associate professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Public

Health. “If April 13 to 28 come to pass and our hospitals still have capacity, then maybe our social distancing efforts will have been successful.” Gerald has spent the past few weeks projecting a timeline of the virus, which includes anticipated case growth and that May peak. However, he has since substituted his graphs for the research of COVID Act Now, a multi-state, multi-university group of professionals working to understand the virus. COVID Act Now researchers project that a shelter-in-place rule must be implemented for Arizona by May 4 to May 9 to prevent “hospital overload.” Hospital overload is when there are more hospitalizations as a result of COVID-19 than there are available hospital beds. COVID Act Now predicts with no action against the virus, our hospitals will become overloaded on April 24, and even with social distancing in practice, our hospitals will become overloaded on May 15. They anticipate shelter-in-place would be the only way to prevent overload. However, social distancing would still greatly reduce the number of peak hospi-

talizations: 63,000 by June 7, as opposed to no action, which would result in 148,000 hospitalizations by May 10. “Usually what’s easy to measure and predict is not terribly useful, and what’s hard to measure and predict is often what’s the most useful,” Gerald said. “What we’d really like to know is how many individuals in Arizona actually have COVID-19. But because we’re doing so little testing, we really don’t have any good measure of how many people have COVID-19.” Due to our nation’s low testing, public health researchers estimate that for every one confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S., there are as many as five to 10 untested cases. These numbers are reflected in case percentages; roughly 10 percent of U.S. coronavirus tests are positive for infection, versus 1 to 2 percent of tests in China and South Korea. This indicates those countries are testing a much wider section of the population. “Because our testing supplies are so limited, we’re only testing the most obvious cases,” Gerald said. “Modelers are basically having to guess based on the number of reported cases which is some multiple of the true cases, and then work the assumptions out from there.” One of the core problems for COVID-19 testing in the U.S. is the relationship between government agencies and public/ academic health labs. In early February, the World Health Organization had distributed more than 1 million COVID-19 tests to multiple nations. At that same time, the CDC was shipping 160,000 tests across the nation. However, the majority of these CDC tests were rendered unusable due to a design flaw. Public health labs may have been able to make up for this flaw by distributing their own tests, but were not allowed to use them until February 29, when the FDA relaxed its testing rules. Since the FDA approved companies to test for COVID-19—one of the first of which was Roche—public health lab tests have far exceeded the number of CDC tests. “As we expand testing, a positive test no longer means the same thing; four weeks ago, it meant you were really, really sick and that’s why you got tested. But today, we’re mixing it from people who are really sick with people who aren’t so sick, and the outcomes change,” Gerald said. “We’re in this window of probably the next four weeks where it will be very difficult to translate the case numbers that are being reported to us into an understanding of if we’re doing good and if our social distancing measures

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are working.” Gerald says there are two most-likely timelines for the virus’ spread. In one timeline, we’re in the first wave of this disease and we will get a reprieve during the summer months as we normally do with flu season. The virus may then resurge, possibly around October, as temperatures begin to dip. In a second possible timeline, our social distancing is not effective, and a large section of the population gets the disease over the next three or four months. There is then no second wave of the virus come October because it’s already reached a natural maximum amount of cases throughout the population. “These outcomes still remain under our control. The decisions we make today are going to inform what happens this April and May,” Gerald said. “If we do nothing or do ineffective things, then April and May are going to be really, really terrible months for us, as well as other states in the country. But if we aggressively intervene and slow interactions, then we can make the worst of this not nearly as bad.” An important note about social distancing: Because of the incubation period of the virus, deaths and case numbers lag for roughly two weeks. So even if the government implements strict shelter-in-place policies across the entire nation today, the number of cases will continue to increase for an estimated two weeks before we see the true benefit of the interventions. “We’re all impatient because these measures are disrupting our lives. Real people are losing jobs, real people are worried about losing their jobs, and so it’s hard to stay at home when you don’t have an income and not be able to see that your sacrifices are resulting in an impact,” Gerald said. “Our window of acting is quickly shrinking. It’s up to us. We can change it, but we’ll have to make some difficult and hard decisions, and we’ll have to stick with it for a while.” A study by the Imperial College of London’s COVID-19 Response Team examined the impact of “non-pharmaceutical interventions” (such as social distancing) to reduce COVID19 mortality. The team’s modeling found that optimal mitigation policies (quarantine and social distancing) might reduce peak healthcare demand by two thirds and deaths by half. “These projections are not set in stone. They largely depend on how effectively and aggressively we respond to this outbreak,” Gerald said. “These outcomes are not preordained.” ■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

Story & photos by Brian Smith

A pandemic day at Circle K BIG MIKE, AS HE’S KNOWN around here, swings open the door for customers, greets them with a tobacco-fortified grin and kindly nod. This guy is big, like an ex-lineman, in his 40s, gray beard, swollen belly, black wrap-arounds. There’s a pragmatism about him, a honed way of survival. His life’s belongings cram a shopping cart, and it is packed, mathematical and neat, folded, arranged, fastened. A giant jug of water occupies the bottom rack. It is parked in the lot like some apocalyptic mini-coop. Like many out today, the dull color of his clothes mixes with the muted hues of dirt and pavement. It is a cool, partly overcast day in late March, and the skies are dripping. It is a beautiful world when the sun is out and it rains too. Big Mike is hardly concerned with any such beauty, and this is fact. It’s not the threat of a virus either, he must find shelter from the goddamn rain. Jason Stark ambles up as Big Mike rolls his shopping cart out of the Circle K parking lot. He is 40-ish, saguaro-skinny and windblown, and wears a gray hoodie and two trucker hats. He hits us up for a smoke, and Big Mike hands over his tobacco pouch and papers. Stark rolls one in a flash all the while theorizing the Covid-19 pandemic, how it could be a plot to implant computer chips into humans or some other grim means to “thin out the population.” In few sentences, Stark reduces the government, the media and the rich into a vague conspiracy of malevolence, architects of some major long con. Stark’s energy is difficult to pin down, like some infection, like a tweaker, but he swears he doesn’t tweak. It’s the bi-polar meds, he says, which keep the monologues running and saliva crusted on the corner edges of his lips. When you think he isn’t listening he’ll answer your question,

many run-ons later. His mind is fast and he is no idiot. “It’s in the congested cities, like New York and Milan, in China, so we’re fine here,” Stark says. Big Mike nods. “But now no one’s working so I can’t look for a job,” he adds. He produces a black iPhone from his pocket, and would I be interested? Forget social distancing, Big Mike and Stark are hardly nervous about coronavirus. Big Mike says, “I’m not worried at all.” His empathic head shake and pursed lips confirm this. Stark interrupts with a mumble about his longing for televised sporting events, long cancelled. Now Big Mike sleeps whereever he can and has some story to tell but Stark’s screed of equivocal conspiracy theories distracts and Big Mike loses interest. He whips out his wallet and Arizona ID so I get his last name correct: Knopf. He has five bucks to his name and hands one of them to Stark, who hasn’t eaten in god knows how long. It is one-fifth of Big Mike’s net worth and Stark and Big Mike only met now. It is a generous gesture upholding a tacit law of capitalist humanity: the less you have the more you share. Everyone homeless I meet shares—food, smokes, fountain-poured Dr. Pepper, whatever. That stuff is riches. There are no gloves or masks. This is hour-to-hour survival. Big Mike rolls off toward the Goodwill thrift store down the street for shelter, and will stash his cart and catch a bus somewhere, taking advantage of Sun Tran’s pandemic-era fare-free policy. Stark heads into Circle K telling me of his life back in Maryland, making good money working as an Exxon cashier, and side hustles involving credit cards and slinging. He quit that, he says. The cost of living is “so high around Baltimore and D.C.” there is no

Michael McNeil (left) and Jason Stark in front of Circle K.

way to survive. His mother lives out on Tucson’s eastside, why he ended up here. In route he camped in Albuquerque with relatives, and says the tweakers there are so bad they think they communicate telepathically with each other. He had to get out. He soon discovered there was no work in Tucson and now disability about covers his rent. From this Circle K you’d never know a deadly virus disseminates in the world. This one at Fort Lowell Road and Alvernon is a neighborhood heartbeat. People pump in and out, travel there by car or foot, the displaced and the better off, crowd the checkout line and ignore the sign that reads customers keep six feet apart. Most ignore the store-provided hand sanitizer stationed at the entrance. The harried front-liner employees behind the registers appear to keep distance, and regard their customers with a helpful but skeptical air. What can they do? They need the work, there is no work if they don’t count out the change, retrieve cigarettes and bag things for the high number of dispossessed folks trudging in and out with cumbersome backpacks or hungry dogs, many in poor health and hygiene. Folks (today all white guys) collect out front on the concrete, backs against the store, before ambling on. Most non-essential goods and services have shuttered, car traffic is sparse, and necessary panhandled

cash from strangers is nearly non-existent; those with cash don’t touch it. For those without, even standing six feet apart is a luxury. The weekday-morning foot traffic here is hectic, more than usual, one clerk confirms. Let Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey order everyone in the state to stay home— for some, this is their home. We meet Michael McNeil who has been perched outside the K for some time. His ponytailed hair and matching gray beard stir in the breeze and sharp bones protrude from his smallish frame. His twinkly blues and long rigid nose suggest a character Yeats might’ve dreamed up. He looks much older than his 48 years. He is friendly and self-effacing. McNeil and Sparks talk at once. McNeil explains he is Irish, though his surname is “actually Scottish,” and how his grandfather married a Sioux Indian, so he’s one-quarter Native. How he was born and raised outside Houston, to a drunken carny and a mother who bailed before his first birthday. His aunt and hard military-man uncle took in McNeil and his brother. His aunt became his mother and driving force in the kids’ life and they lived on farms in both Arkansas and Texas, with chickens, horses and an open-air life. He once horse-backed across Texas. (“It took three and a half months!”) Meanwhile, Sparks works his Polar

APRIL 2, 2020

Pop and appears engaged in a suite of tasks and movements privy only to him. Dude is restless. He riffs over McNeil, stopping short of homily, complaining his food stamps were whittled to 16 bucks a month (“they can shove that 16 dollars back up their ass”) and how disability barely covers his rent. Yet he talks the upcoming presidential election and airs mad dislike for Biden, stands by Trump, and, like most Trump fans I meet, gets defensive for little reason. Soon frustration carries him off toward Fort Lowell Road, shouting indecipherable words over his shoulder, throwing a fist skyward, the gallon of milk, M&Ms, chips and pack of smokes I just bought for him in a bag bouncing off his thigh. He moves toward that roach-infested room he says he can’t live in, the “cool but crazy woman” he says he can’t sleep with, a babble of some other hustles in an unspoken Tucson Babylon, his home, for now. McNeil has no money and a few smokes, and I walk him into the K for a coffee. All he needs, he says. He rode the bus for free today to get here, from his place not far up Fort Lowell. We step outside and he leans against the trash receptacle and lights a cigarette, pulls from his sugar-blasted coffee and explains he was released yesterday from Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, after a week’s stay. His third heart attack in a year. He first landed in the psych ward, for booze detox. “The withdrawal wasn’t so bad this time, lasted only two days, but they filled me full of drugs.” No heart surgery needed but he was issued stern warnings involving his cardiovascular disease and self-care. McNeil’s wry grin belies his blunt sentences, like he’s holding back the funny parts. He talks in it-is-what-it-is capitulations, accents with shoulder shrugs. I ask if maybe he should cool it with the smokes and coffee. He did just suffer a heart attack. The shrug: “I’ve been through a lot—it’s just life.” It is just life. McNeil was homeless, camped at a Tucson Salvation Army, prior to his first heart attack, and now he resides in a little state-paid apartment up Fort Lowell. He’s been homeless in Texas, Kentucky and Phoenix. Once, years ago, a 15-year-old kid cracked his skull open. The boy, McNeil says, “wanted to know what it

felt like to kill someone.” He points to a metal plate in his head, a trophy for not dying in the attack. He remembers his dad crashing back into his world, and how he and his brother wanted to kill him. Dad introduced the 19-year-old to hard drinking and carnival road work, jumping freight trains and how to

McNeil savored the carney life, the travel, the set-up and tear-down, all the kids, the ticket-taking, running rides, such as his “big ass” fave, Starship USA. He fell in love too, hard. In fact, he bused into Tucson about a year ago to be near Melanie, the same woman he met on a traveling carnival 27 years ago.

Upper: Michael McNeil: “I’m dying anyway.” Lower: Big Mike looks for shelter.

escape trouble. “He was a motherfucker but that’s how he showed me he loved me, I guess,” McNeil says. “We became friends for a short while, and it was really great getting drunk with my dad, I will say that. But he never did say he was sorry.” They worked carnivals side-by-side (dad got him in) and once lived in Phoenix together where McNeil learned theater and show production at Phoenix College, and found some work as a sound tech on staged productions. Dad is still alive somewhere in Texas, as far as McNeil knows. It’s not like he’d ever talk to the old man again.

He married Melanie once, it lasted a decade or so before he drank it away. They were living with his aunt/mother in Indiana, where he worked at an animal shelter. (“I’d get close to the animals and the next day they’d be killed. It’s brutal work and most people only last three years. I did four.”) McNeil drank long each night after work and Melanie bailed, and remarried. It broke his heart. Later, in 2009, his mother died and the landlord kicked him out. He left Indiana with nowhere to go and no money to get there, saddled with a healthy booze addiction. He and Melanie are back together

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

now, living separately. She’s in statepaid housing, which is on lockdown. “I can’t see her for 14 days,” McNeil says. “It fucking sucks.” As we talk, some dude of indiscernible age lurches over and tosses a tiny blue baggie containing about $5 worth of meth on the trash container between us. His presence is big, dark and spectral, shrouded in a kind of graphic-novel menace. Lights-out eyes highlight a scabbed hatchet face. Even at six feet away he smells of Javelinas. His entire body is concave, both frightening and miraculous in its ability to stay upright. I know speed as both an elixir and easy tombstone. I’m not indifferent to the tweaker or his tragedies, and I’ve seen some goners, just filled with sadness. The coronavirus would take these street folks down in one swoop. Suddenly even McNeil’s problems seem almost petty. McNeil picks up the baggie and tosses it back to the guy. No sale. No words. The salesman huffs away sideways. Takes an elbow on the concrete ground near the K’s front door, coughs, pulls an unwrapped danish from somewhere on his person, and shoves the entirety into his maw. McNeil shrugs, answers an unasked question, “he’s not evil, he’s just psychotic.” The rest of McNeil’s day will unfold like this: He’ll attempt to negotiate the hours with as little friction as possible, likely catch a free bus ride to a food bank because his cupboard is bare, “if it’s open. I lost my food card in the hospital.” He doesn’t ask me for anything, I offered the coffee, and he is not about to let coronavirus worry turn to fear. Maybe it is some inner-calming buffer, “I just got out of the hospital and I’m clean, tested. So I am safe.” He settles back against the Circle K glass to watch through those transparent blues the dogs and backpacks and shopping carts, and the cars moving on Alvernon Way. A bulwark against a diseasing world. And he’d rather be someplace else. “I’m only here for one reason,” he says, sparking another smoke. “My mom is gone. The dad who raised me died in 1985. I’m dying anyway. It don’t matter to me anymore, except for Melanie.” He adds, “I have 15 percent of my heart left, and that’s for her.” ■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

RICHARD ELÍAS, RIP Pima County supervisor dead of apparent heart attack at age 61 By Austin Counts Austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com PIMA COUNTY SUPERVISOR Richard Elías died Saturday, March 28, at age 61. He passed away in his sleep of an apparent heart attack, said state Rep. Andres Cano, a close friend of Elías who had worked in his District 5 office. “We woke to the news that a community warrior and advocate of social justice is dead,” said Cano. Cano learned how to be “an advocate for those without a voice” from Elías, a Democrat who had represented District 5 since his appointment in 2002. He said he was inspired by the way Elías worked to sound the alarm about the spread of COVID-19 in the community and just last week, voted to keep gathering places such as bars, theaters and gyms closed. “His last week was spent sending this message that the community was taking the coronavirus outbreak very seriously,” Cano said. “What a noble way to leave us.” A fifth-generation Tucsonan, Elías became active in union politics while working in a grocery store to support himself while attending the University of Arizona. Paul Stapleton-Smith, community organizer and former chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation said Elías was a “mentor and leader of the creative leaders”. “Richard Elías was a union man,” Stapleton-Smith said. “He espoused the principles of unionism. Everyone in, nobody left out.” In recent years, Stapleton-Smith remembers Elías being a “big supporter of the ASARCO strike” and being on the front lines with striking miners. “He was a part of numerous press conferences, he picketed alongside and ate meals with the striking workers,” Stapleton-Smith said. “He told us, ‘Never, ever, ever give up the fight.’” Before he was appointed to the Board of Supervisors, Elías worked at various government and nonprofit affordablehousing agencies, where he developed a

“passion” for ensuring people had a roof over their head, according Supervisor Sharon Bronson. “He strongly believed that adequate housing is a human right and that belief informed everything he did as a Supervisor for District 5,” Bronson said. “Richard and I often agreed, but when we disagreed, he was always respectful, honest and open to compromise.”

declining to seek reelection in 2016, said he respected Elías’ commitment and expertise in areas such as healthcare, the environment and housing. “We had a lot of successes, a lot of disagreements, but we never failed in trying to do our best for our community,” Carroll said. Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez said he remembers when he and

COURTESY PHOTO

Pima County Supervisor Richard Elías: 1958-2020.

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WE WOKE TO THE NEWS THAT A COMMUNITY WARRIOR AND ADVOCATE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IS DEAD. – STATE REP. ANDRES CANO

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry called Elías “the people’s champion on the board, and the champion of the rank and file county employees. He always thought of others first, especially the less fortunate, and he worked tirelessly to improve the incomes and living conditions of all Pima County residents, but especially the poor.” Justice of the Peace Ray Carroll, a Republican who served alongside Elías on the Board of Supervisors before

Elías first met at Bruce Wheeler’s Ward 1 office on Grande Avenue, as a part of the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum. “At the time both of us would wear white shirts and a tie. We got nicknamed “twins” by the rest of the group,” Valadez said. “We go back 31 years.” Valadez said Elías was a man equally passionate about his family as he was his community. While the two disagreed over issues as supervisors of Pima County at times, Valadez said he knew Elías

had the best intentions for the people he served. “I always knew he was coming from a place where he firmly believed the actions he was best advocating for was the best for the community,” Valadez said. “There was never any disputing that. It was always a question of ‘how.’” Former South Tucson Mayor and Pima County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom said he first met Elías as a young man at his father’s print shop while starting his political career in the early 1970s. Over the years, Eckstrom kept up with Elías’ schooling and career, he said. “I kind of followed him as he grew. He worked as the housing director for the City of South Tucson, and then went to Chicanos por la Causa,” Eckstrom said. “When he came to work for the housing department of Pima County, I knew him as an employee. Later on, when he got the bug to go in to politics, I got to know him a lot better.” Elías was appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 2002 filling the seat left vacant by Democrat Raul Grijalva, who resigned to seek the congressional seat he still holds today. “Richard was appointed to the Board of Supervisors and I was one of the supervisors that supported him,” Eckstrom said. “We collaborated on a lot of the causes he supported. He had a lot of progressive values and did a good job representing his constituents.” Congressman Raul Grijalva remembered his friend as a “poet-warrior” who embraced life and sought to better the lives of those around him. He was blunt in a statement paying tribute to the late supervisor: “Richard Elías gave a shit. He cared about regular folks and the issues that mattered to them. He led with his heart and used his mind and body to consistently fight for the right thing for people. The loss of a thinker and advocate like him will be sorely missed in our community.” “Poet warriors are rare in politics, and we just lost a good one,” Grijalva continued. “I will miss him schooling me about the music he loved, recommending good reads, and discussing—in a deeper way— why he and I do what we do including the frustrations, losses, occasional wins, and humor of our public lives.” Grijalva concluded his tribute with Elías’ frequent sign-off: “As Richard would say: ‘Resist. Much love.’” ■ Jim Nintzel contributed to this story.

APRIL 2, 2020

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

DANEHY

TOM GOES SHOPPING FOR TOILET PAPER AND REFLECTS ON LIFE IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS By Tom Danehy, tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com LAST WEEK, I FOUND MYSELF leaning on a shopping cart, standing in line outside a supermarket at 4:20 in the morning. This was a situation that nobody my age—or half my age or a fourth of my age—could have imagined even a month ago. But there I was, near the head of a line that would soon stretch for half-a-block, waiting in the pre-dawn chill to buy some over-priced and under-effective toilet paper. And not even for me. I have a friend who coaches highschool basketball on the Navajo Reservation. He texted me and told me that, in that part of the state, toilet paper is in critically short supply, even more so than elsewhere. Just this week, with schools closed, he made futile trips to Flagstaff and then Albuquerque in search of the precious commodity. I told him that I was going to go to the store anyway to pick up a couple food items; I would see what I could do. My wife, noting that I am of a certain age, “suggested” that I go participate in the early-morning AARP Stampede that we had seen on the news the week be-

CLAYTOONZ By Clay Jones

fore. It looked like they were opening the gates for a Grateful Dead concert with festival seating. And shopping carts. Despite my having arrived 40 minutes before the store would open, I was still third in line. I’m always amazed at how, in certain situations, people will talk to each other about anything and nothing with ease and grace. In this suddenly bizarre time, people just seem to be more polite, more understanding, less political. It feels good Within minutes, without having asked a question, I knew that Guy #2 needed to shut down his business temporarily because of the situation. Then he told me a horrible story of how he and his wife had been talking about retiring in the near future but had recently taken legal custody of their four grandchildren, all four of whom had been abused by their mom’s live-in boyfriend. I had no idea why he would tell that story to a complete stranger; maybe it’s easier to tell it to a stranger than to someone you know. All I could manage was, “Well, if he goes to prison, he’ll be reminded of his atrocities on a daily basis.”

…and I’m bummed out because there’s no basketball on TV?... He then said that he was just there to buy toilet paper for his new-sized family. Since everybody could only buy one package each, I offered to buy some and give it to him on the way out. He politely declined my offer, saying that getting out to different stores everyday gave him something to do. By then, a line was forming. People would just grab a cart and head to the end of the queue. A woman walked up, dressed like a medical assistant of some kind. Guy #1 looked at her and said, “Hey, hi!” She looked at him somewhat quizzically, and he continued, “You helped out with my dad when he was in your (facility).” She smiled and said, “Oh yes, how is he doing?” Guy #1 said, “Not well. We had to move him to another place. We can’t go see him…” His voice trailed off and he just shrugged. …and I’m whining because I have to use the old StairClimber in the garage instead of the elliptical at Planet Fitness?... The door eventually opened and we walked in. No hurrying, no boorish behavior. Lots of smiles and excuse-mes. They didn’t have the food items I wanted (I’m running dangerously low on El Pato Mexican hot tomato sauce.) I got the off-off-off-brand of toilet paper and left.

A couple hours later, I went to the Post Office and sent off the package. I texted my friend and told him to hold on for a day or two; help was on the way. Then I went home and hunkered down. I hate to admit that I had allowed petty and selfish thoughts to creep into my head, mostly about the amount of time that it’s going to take to get through this. I shared some of those thoughts with an old friend, a guy I’ve known since 1989. He sent me an email and after I was done reading it, I felt like Nicolas Cage after Cher slapped him and said, “Snap out of it!” And I have. Compared to most people, we’ve got it great. My wife is a teacher and has taken over the dining room with her desktop computer and her laptop for conducting her daily lessons online. It’s going OK, but she worries about her students. All of a sudden, I want to go play tennis. (I’m not yet so desperate that I want to go hiking.) But I’m going to stay at home and not be a part of the problem. The only doubt I have in my head now is, “How often do I support local businesses by ordering take-out meals?” My son and I had El Molinito the other night. When I went to pick it up, they had a big table across the entryway, keeping customers from entering the eerily empty dining room. It was quite sad, but also delicious. And now it’s on to another day. ■

APRIL 2, 2020

Triple T Truckstop 5451 Benson Highway Open 24 hours (520) 574-0050

CHOW AUSTIN COUNTS

For a list of restaurants that are offering take-out and delivery, visit TucsonWeekly.com.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

The Triple T Truckstop stands ready to aid drivers who keep the nation’s supply chains turning By Austin Counts austin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

AS BASIC NECESSITIES AND rest-stop options become limited across the nation during the coronavirus pandemic, the Triple T Truckstop is stepping up to make sure truck drivers on Interstate-10 have what they need and a safe, clean place to lay their head. “Everyday day you go to a store looking for toilet paper, you got to remember it came from a truck,” said Kurt Dandoy, president of operations for Triple T Truckstop/Omar’s Hi-Way Chef. “If you shut the trucks down, chaos and mayhem is gonna be the next two words out of people’s mouths. I can promise you that.” Dandoy is on a mission each day procuring much needed supplies cross-country truckers are having hard time finding— toilet paper, bottled water, milk, bread, eggs. If he can’t find what he needs at the big-box stores, like Walmart and Sam’s Club, Dandoy said he would try to find it at local grocery stores in the Tucson area. His daily procurement trips are not about reselling to make money, Dandoy said, but out of duty to his drivers and duty to the country during this unprecedented time. “I go everyday looking for the needs and supplies of my drivers. They are vital to this nation,” Dandoy said. “Without them trucks movin’, we won’t get the supplies we need in the stores and this country is gonna shut off.” While Dandoy is doing his best to make sure the Triple T shelves are stocked with the needed goods, he is also helping

truckers with another problem they’re facing coast to coast—lack of to-go and take-out options. Dine-In service is closed at the truck stop’s restaurant, Omar’s Hi-Way Chef, but continues with a skeleton crew of three—a waitress, a cook and a manager—serving take-out from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Dandoy said he’s had to lay off nearly two-thirds of his restaurant staff since the dine-in shut down started mid-March. “That wasn’t a choice. We don’t have the financial means to fix that,” Dandoy said. “We’re doing less than 10 percent of our normal business at our restaurant.” Michelle Keller, the restaurant’s waitress, takes orders at a folding table inside the lobby. Keller said business is “a lot slower” these days, but she’s starting to see it pick up. Truck drivers often talk to her about not being able to get hot food while on the road. “Truckers talk about the lack of options when they come in,” Keller said. “It’s been very frustrating for them. And we need them right now. We need them.” Restaurants with drive-thrus are still open across the nation, but a 13-foot-high Peterbilt semi truck is not going to fit. Furthermore, most corporate drive-thrus have an “in-car policy,” meaning they can’t take the order if the customer isn’t in a car. Josh Goodson, a truck driver for Page Transportation, said a lot of truckers are starting to boycott fast-food restaurants like Burger King and McDonalds for not working with the trucking community as their dine-in operations close. “McDonalds, Burger King, places like

that...they’re not allowing us to walk up to drive-thrus to get food, which is a problem,” Goodson said. “So a lot of truckers are boycotting Burger King and places like that not helping.” Goodson said corporate places like Sonic Drive-In have been accommodating because they bring out stairs to take the drivers’ orders. He also said he thought Omar’s Hi-Way Chef is a good resource to drivers since “they’re taking orders, cooking, trying to help out.” But the Tucson resident said he stocked up on the necessities “just like everybody else” during a break from the road last week. He said he hopes the supplies will last a while because grocery goods are limited on the road and usually overpriced, even without shortages. “I stocked up like everybody else last week,” Goodson said. “I got sandwiches. I got food in my truck for whatever I need. So I’m hoping I don’t have to mess with that too much.” On America’s roads, there’s many truck drivers unable to stock up in between runs due to being dispatched to another city after delivering their load. When they do have free time, the supplies they need is now out of stock or they’ll be waiting in line for hours. Places like Triple T/Omar’s Hi-Way Chef have become a beacon of necessity to truckers working on locked down and grocery-depleted highways. The truckstop’s manager, Kevin Risner, said truckers tell him they appreciate being able to eat a hot meal while on the road during the pandemic. “We had a customer who said he’s been having to eat cheese and bread sandwiches coming down California because every-

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 11

thing’s closed and you can’t walk up and order at a drive-thru,” Risner said. “It was the first hot meal he’s had in a few days.” Dandoy admits he has fears of COVID-19 transmission at the truckstop. He said he’s taken precautions to safeguard his staff and customers from the virus that could be easily spread due to the transient nature of his business. “Everyday I worry about germs and what (truck drivers) may be carrying. That driver out there could be from New York, where it’s real bad. Or Chicago. Or Los Angeles,” Dandoy said. “Since it’s a transient business, it’s coming at you from many different directions.” Dandy’s staff wears gloves at all times and hand sanitizer is readily available behind the cashiers counter. Employees also have respirator masks if they’re needed and they want to wear them, said Dandoy. For customers, Dandoy said the pumps are wiped down with germicide twice a day, door handles and counters are sanitized after nearly every transaction, and bathrooms are sanitized each hour. The truck stop has also increased cleaning practices of their motel rooms and forrent showers, going “above and beyond” requirements, said Dandoy. As the coronavirus pandemic gets worse in Southern Arizona—and across the country—Dandoy said he is going to keep his doors open as long as the government doesn’t shut down truck stops. “We’re dealing with a different sort of business when it comes to the trucking industry. I’m even hearing about some truck stops shutting down their lobbies. They’ll sell you gas, but won’t let you in their doors,” Dandoy said. “That’s not going to happen at the TTT. We’re always going to have our doors open. We’ll always have our bathrooms, showers, and motel open. We’re gonna to be here for our drivers and we’re gonna to get through this together.” ■

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12 TUCSONWEEKLY.COM APRIL 2, 2020 We’ve shifted City Week to a list of COVID-19 related community resources, for the time being. See something we’re missing that you’d like to see in the next edition? Email emily@ tucsonlocalmedia.com.

and more include: • Coronavirus.gov • Fema.gov/coronavirus-rumor-control • Cdc.gov/coronavirus Local resources: • Azdhs.gov • Webcms.pima.gov • Tucsonaz.gov

Senior Shopping

The following stores have specialized shopping hours reserved for seniors and/or those at high risk of contracting COVID-19 Albertsons: 7 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays AJ’s: 5 to 6 a.m. on Wednesdays. Bashas: 5 to 6 a.m. on Wednesdays Big Lots: 9 to 10 a.m. every day (for “senior citizens and those most vulnerable to the virus”) Costco: 8 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Dollar General: 8 to 9 a.m. at Tucson locations (first hour stores are open) Food City: 5 to 6 a.m. on Wednesdays Safeway: 7 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays Sam’s Club: 7 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays “for seniors and those with disabilities or compromised immune systems” Target: 8 to 9 a.m. (first hour of shopping) every Wednesday, for “vulnerable guests,” including those over 65, pregnant women or others defined by the CDC as vulnerable or at-risk. Trader Joe’s: From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, there will be a priority line outside the front door for senior customers. Walgreens: 8 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays Walmart: 6 to 7 a.m. (one hour before regular opening) on Tuesdays. Whole Foods: 7 to 8 a.m. (one hour before opening)

If You Feel Sick

There are a couple of local hotlines you can call if you feel concerned that you’re coming down with something. As you’ve probably heard, it’s critical to call ahead, so professionals can help you assess the situation and determine the best place to go. If you have concerns about COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, you can call Banner Health at 1-844-549-1851 to speak with a clinical team member to determine if testing is appropriate. The line will be staffed 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. If you meet the CDC criteria for testing, you’ll be scheduled for an appointment at Banner’s new drive-through site in Tucson. You’ll be asked to stay inside your vehicle while they conduct a nose swab, then be given paperwork to fill out, confirming that you will self-isolate until you receive your test results. They take about three to five days to return. Tucson Medical Center also has two hotlines you can call for more information about COVID-19: 1-520-626-6016 and 1-844-542-8201. If you’re feeling just a little bit ill, start by contacting your primary care doctor, who can help you determine if you should come in for testing. If your symptoms are more severe, call the emergency department so they can direct you to the best place. Adults: Emergency Department: (520) 3245700 Children: Pediatric Emergency Department

by Emily Dieckman

(520) 324-5070 Pima County also had a COVID-19 hotline you can call for general information about news, testing, prevention and cleaning guidelines. Call 211 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. If you’re a veteran experiencing symptoms like fever, cough or shortness of breath, the Southern Arizona VA asks that you first call the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN 22) Nurse Advice Line at 1-(877) 2524866 or to use virtual care options to determine your risk before coming in. The VA is also offering screening services and having results processed at Quest Laboratory. Test results take about seven to eight days to come back from the lab.

Finances

Local First Arizona Small Business Relief Fund. This fund for micro-entrepreneurs (businesses with 0-3 employees and less than $250,000 in annual revenue) struggling in the face of the pandemic, can apply for this funding to cover business expenses, employee salaries and other operation-related costs. Visit localfirstaz.com/covidresources to learn more. U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Assistance. Small businesses and nonprofits severely impacted by COVID-19 can apply for these targeted, low-interest loans. The SBA is providing loans of up to $2 million to provide economic support to organizations experiencing loss of revenue in the face of the crisis. Arizona Department of Economic Security. The Unemployment Insurance Call Center has extended its hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Call 1 (877) 600-2722 for assistance in filing for unemployment or visit des.az.gov to learn more about whether you qualify. Governor Ducey’s March 20 executive order and administrative action increased access to unemployment benefits. Growth Partners Arizona. This organization has delivered affordable loans to small businesses for decades, but they’ve added two loan options for small businesses in Arizona in the face of the virus. Kiva Tucson uses crowdfunding to provide no-interest, no-fee, community-backed business loans from $1,000 to $15,000. The Small Business Success Loan is for borrowers who need larger amounts, and offers loans of $10,00o to $75,000 to qualified small businesses for business growth and expansion, equipment, long-term working capital, tenant improvements and consolidation of more expensive debt. Visit growthpartnersaz. org for more information. Community Investment Corporation. They’ve created an emergency microloan fund to support southern Arizona businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Loans of up to $10,000, with an interest rate of 1.5% to 3%, are designed to help bridge current and impending cash flow. Visit cictucson.org for more information.

Staying Informed

If you’re glued to whatever screen you can get your hands on, soaking up the latest updates on the grim state of the world, you’ve probably already come across some contradictory information. Some reliable websites with information about prevention, symptoms, how to clean and disinfect different types of surfaces

Food

The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona has adjusted its service hours and switched to a drive-by model for food distribution in Marana and at the Country Club location in Tucson. Temporary hours are below. Call 622-0525 or visit communityfoodbank. org/covid-19-update for more information on where to find food. They can also help you apply for SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps). Call 520-882-3314 and they’ll walk you through the process. • Tucson: Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Marana: Effective Wednesday, March 25, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. • Amado: Effective Tuesday, March 24, Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Green Valley: Effective Tuesday, March 24, Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. • Nogales: Effective Tuesday, March 24, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m. (SENIORS ONLY); 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for all other visitors Tucson Food Share is a program sharing free groceries for Tucsonans impacted by COVID-19. They accept bulk donations or purchase wholesale, pack them for individual households in a sanitary environment and distribute or deliver them. Pick up is 5 to 7 p.m. on Mondays and 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursdays at 600 N. Fourth Ave. Visit tucsonfoodshare.org to learn more. The Interfaith Community Services Food Bank is still open. The ICS Foodbank, at 2820 W. Ina Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday, as well as 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Eastside Food Bank, at the New Spirit Lutheran Church, 8701 E. Old Spanish Road, is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on first and third Saturdays. Visit icstucson.org for more information. The University of Arizona campus pantry is still open to students, but with a new location and hours. Bring a CatCard and a grocery bag to the Sonora Room (first floor of the Student Union Memorial Center, next to Wells Fargo) from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Emergency food bags are also available in the Dean of Students office, located in the Nugent Building. Visit campuspantry.arizona.edu to learn more. Churches, nonprofits and other organizations operate several other foodbanks throughout town. Visit Foodpantries.org/ci/az-tucson for a full list of places to turn. ■

APRIL 2, 2020

ARTS & CULTURE

TIM FULLER

Productions such as ATC’s Legend of George McBride have been postponed or canceled.

THE CURTAIN FALLS

Ensuring the health of our theaters during and after COVID-19 closures By Betsy Labiner and Holly Griffith, of Taming of the Review tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com

THIS IS AN ANXIETY-INDUCING time for many of us, and it feels even more difficult when the very things we turn to for comfort -- coming together with others, sharing stories, and escaping into performance -- are the same things we must give up in their communal, social form. Let us

be clear: preventative cancellations are unquestionably for the best, and we fully support Mayor Romero’s guidelines for public health. History shows us again and again that measures such as these, when taken in advance of a crisis and when adhered to properly, save lives. That is not up for debate. While we encourage everyone to engage with art and storytelling in their homes in literary and film form, we mourn

the cancelled shows and the temporary loss of the special connections forged in theatrical spaces. Other local media have released lists of the cancelled shows and events, so we won’t rehash that here, but we want instead to talk about the impact that such cancellations have on local theatres and artists, and what we can do as a community to ensure their recovery when we are able once again to gather together to enjoy public performances. First and foremost, the cancellations represent a very serious loss of income to not only the actors, but all technicians, artists, and staff in the theatre. What we see on stage represents hundreds of hours of work by a large team, many of whom will never be in the spotlight. Theatres pay much of the cost of a production upfront, so cancelling after much of that work has been completed and paid for represents a real financial blow. Often, the profits from one show go directly into mounting the next production; breaking that cycle represents a dangerous rupture from which a theatre might not recover without our support. One thing we strongly encourage audience members to do during this time, if they can, is to monetarily support your favorite theatre. For the moment, this may simply be not asking for a refund on a ticket you pre-purchased for a show that’s now been cancelled. If you’re in a financially secure position, you may even consider making a donation to a local theatre -- no matter the amount, theatres will be grateful for the gift and the message of support it sends. In addition, there is a more general fund being set up and managed by the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona that will provide support to any nonprofits hurt by cancellations due to COVID-19. (You may visit the CFSA website to learn more and donate.) Here’s the thing: artists are trained to be resourceful and adaptable, so you might

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 13

be able to enjoy some of your favorite live performances in new ways. Organizations around the globe are already finding ways to keep the arts alive during social distancing. The Metropolitan Opera is offering free online streams of their performances during the Coronavirus crisis. The Berlin Philharmonic waived its fees to watch concerts online. Any plays or music in the public domain (as well as original performance content written or created in-house) can be voice-recorded or videotaped and distributed to patrons as an alternative to live performances. We encourage patrons to temporarily accept and support the efforts made to produce content digitally, and also to understand that it may not be a viable option for some companies, artists, or shows. Keep in mind that quality recording isn’t something most live performance venues have easy access to, because their purpose is to present material live. Smaller operations will have to purchase equipment and hire sound editors and film crews to make these services possible. In other words, production and distribution of digital content will create more expense but potentially less income—lower digital ticket prices and fewer patrons. Not to mention that any content not licensed for recording would be illegal to distribute digitally. Looking ahead, please also consider making a point to give your support to theatres when we return to business as usual. Enjoy a show, make a monetary donation, or donate your time or skills in another way! Theatres rely on the community for continued success, and your presence is the only way to ensure their doors stay open and stages stay lit. We wish you all the best during this time, and encourage you to take care of your mental and physical health, as well as that of your neighbors and community. There’s only one acceptable way to come through this: together as Tucsonans, loving and caring for one another. ■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

bration, this examination of the past, present and future of fungi will give you a new respect for the mushrooms around us. Fantastic Fungi follows mycologist Paul Stamets as he discusses how fungi changed his life and inspired him to rethink the natural world. Yes, mushrooms have a role in cooking, but they can also prove to be therapeutic, medicinal and even help solve some of the planet's largest environmental issues. And if none of that interests you, it also features some dazzling visual representations of mushroom-induced hallucinations. 81 minutes. $5 to rent, $15 to own.

CINEMA

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ART FROM AFAR Enjoy arthouse flicks at home By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com

WHILE THE LOFT CINEMA IS closed as a physical theater, the nonprofit is doing what it does best: creatively addressing a crisis. The Loft has embraced the digital age by streaming multiple arthouse flicks from their website. Loft fans can purchase an "e-ticket" for the films and are then sent a link and password to view the film. The Loft Cinema will be splitting the revenue with the film's distributor 50/50. This money will go directly to their employees and essential operational costs while their theater is closed. To get a ticket,

head over to loftcinema.org. The Loft is currently streaming:

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Fantastic Fungi. Part nature documentary, part counter-culture cele-

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The Whistlers. An arthouse theatrical streaming exclusive, this thriller from Romanian writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest) examines corruption and deception in law enforcement. Blending elements of gangster films as well as black comedy, The Whistlers follows a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law, embarking on a high-stakes heist. The film was also Romania’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards. 97 minutes. $12 to stream. In Romanian/English/Spanish with English subtitles.

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The Wild Goose Lake. An arthouse streaming exclusive, The Wild Goose Lake recently reached box office success in its native China. From director Diao Yinan (Black Coal, Thin Ice), The Wild Goose Lake is a dark crime film that combines noir elements, gorgeous cinematography and wild action for a memorable flick about the struggle between mobs and police. As with other films The Loft Cinema is streaming, this was a nominee for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. 113 minutes. $12 to stream. In Chinese with English subtitles.

Sorry We Missed You. An arthouse streaming exclusive, this latest film from director Ken Loach (Kes, I, Daniel Blake) is a quiet drama detailing working-class families who live a precarious, modest life. This tear-jerker follows Britain’s “gig economy” and the modern struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Sorry We Missed You was a nominee for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. 101 minutes. $12 to stream. The Loft Cinema reminds you that the film is in “heavily accented English with English subtitles.” ■

APRIL 2, 2020

MUSIC

Jacob Acosta Soul Pandemic jacobacosta.bandcamp.com jacobacostamusic.com

Tucson Musicians COVID-19 Relief This GoFundMe was created to support local musicians during an “unprecedented loss of work”. It started on Sunday, March 15 and is already nearing its $25,000 goal thanks to almost 300 donors. The fundraiser’s organizers (Ben Nisbet, Katie Haverly and Hannah Levin) even formed a questionnaire and application process for local musicians to sign up for aid. Although the survey has closed, the GoFundMe is still accepting donations. If you’d like to support local musicians at a time when concert venues, cafes and bars are closed, visit gofundme.com/f/ tucson-musicians-covid19-relief

CHRISTINE SCHIRMER

Jacob Acosta: “I’m hoping that this will be a call for people to work together and help each other.”

INFECTIOUS MELODIES Jacob Acosta records album about COVID-19 as it unfolds By Jeff Gardner Jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com

IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO tens of millions of Americans being told to shelter in place, Tucson songwriter Jacob Acosta routinely watched the news and speculated how intensely the coronavirus pandemic would impact his community. Now that he—along with the rest of the city—is mostly housebound, he’s using the time to sort through his various emotions on the subject in the best way he knows how. Soul Pandemic is Acosta’s ongoing musical project, being written and recorded as the COVID-19 virus works its way across our world. Each week, Acosta is releasing one new song for the album, which reflect the latest news, government responses, infection rates and community initiatives. “I feel like we didn’t have the right response from the beginning, and that’s what inspired me to do something,” Acosta said. “Because I’m not a political power, I feel like my music and voice is the only way I can reach people, at least on a bigger scale.” Acosta’s previous albums, such as 2018’s Desert Sounds—an expansive and eclectic love letter to the Sonoran Desert’s nature

and history—were planned, written and recorded over the course of a year or more. But with Soul Pandemic, everything is happening and being documented in real time. Acosta says the idea to write songs about the pandemic’s impact didn’t turn into a full album until he was listening to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” “It was really an anthem for American clamor and dissidence, and while listening to it, I got the feeling that we needed to do something right now,” Acosta said. As a result, the first single from Soul Pandemic is a cover version of the Dylan song. Not a traditional cover, Acosta’s gentle guitar and singing is cross-cut with nature recordings, news audio covering the virus, and President Trump saying that he “doesn’t take responsibility at all” for the lag in American testing. “I tried to update the lyrics so they’d resonate more with people of our time, to call people to compassion, and to show voices from other places in the world because this is a global thing,” Acosta said. “I’m hoping that this will be a call for people to work together and help each other.” The second single, “Sunshine Kisses” takes a decidedly positive approach to the

subject. In addition to a pastoral guitar line and uplifting keyboard layers, the song features audio of doctors who battled ebola in South Africa, helped patients during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and are in Italy to fight coronavirus. “For this, there are no limits. I don’t know what all is going to come out of it. As things come to me, that’s how I’m going to make it,” Acosta said. “It’s all going to depend on where I’m at and what comes out, but I’m not limiting it. I want everything to be visceral and just happen, which I think is how art should be made anyway.” For Acosta, the pandemic is more than a muse; he also works as a teacher at a school

Comics

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 15

currently closed due to the virus, and was also forced to postpone his wedding. He feels this project will likely have a wider relevance than any of his previous. “I feel I need to express things through music, and I have so many feelings about this situation that I’m going to use this project as a vehicle to express myself, and also to connect with people,” Acosta said. “There’s an element of refreshing the spirit, there’s an element of catharsis in it.” He says the biggest message to be found in Soul Pandemic is that we should be kind to each other right now, and support local artists and businesses through this time. To further this message, he has also organized multiple live streams from his home recording studio during quarantine, both as a way to spread art to others stuck at home, and as a way to assist and raise awareness about the Tucson Musicians COVID19 Relief Fund, which is gathering money for local musicians who are out of work during this time. “We have to be physically isolated, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop our kindness or our ability to work together,” Acosta said. “I think we can significantly change the order of things if we start looking inward.” A new song from Soul Pandemic is released every Wednesday. Jacob Acosta’s music is available on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube. ■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

SHELTER AT HOME PLAYLIST WHAT’S YOUR SOUNDTRACK TO THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT? By Jim Nintzel jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com CARL HANNI IS A LOCAL DJ WHO kindly sent us his Shelter-at-Home playlist, which inspired us to start a new series here at Tucson Weekly. What are you listening to while you’re rediscovering your home during our pandemic? Share yours with us at tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com. “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye. As good a place as any to start a topical playlist...or end one. What’s going on; pretty perfect as either a question or a statement. And just a great song.

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“Wat About Di Workin’ Claas,?” Linton Kwesi Johnson, from Making History. And while we’re on the subject...while you’re doling out the dough, what about the working class? “Brother Can You Spare a Dime,” Phil Alvin with Sun Ra & The Arkestra. From his solo albumUnsung Stories. Alvin brother Phil (from The Blasters) jumping take on the 1930s Depression era classic number, with freaking Sun Ra driving the ship! Way too timely; a possible anthem for the Future Now?

“Strange Days,” The Doors. Obvious choice, obviously. But come on: “Strange days have found us, strange days have tracked us down…”

“Stop This World,” Mose Allison. Anytime is the right time for Mose Allison. “Stop this world, I want to get off …” preach it, brother!

“Washington, We’re Watching You,” The Staple Singers, from City In The Sky. This one says it all: “Washington, we’re watching you, what the hell you gonna do?” Time to step up and do the right things; otherwise, step aside.

“The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum,” The Fun Boy Three. Word. And check out the percussion.

“This Land Is Your Land,” Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Sharon and the DKs sure put the heart and soul in Woody Gutherie’s peerless statement of purpose. A great American song and message for all eras. “Let’s Work Together,” Wilbert Harrison. Another statement of purpose; “United we stand, divided we fall, come on people, let’s get on the ball.” Canned Heat had a big hit with their version, and Bryan Ferry also smokes his take on the album of the same name. “Politick Kills,” Manu Chao with Linton Kwesi Johnson. Politicks are killing right here, right now. The Head of State is doubling down on dumb, and it feels like they are just set on adding insult to injury.

“Little Demon,” Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. This one’s for the virus...for the virus itself, microscopic little fucker billowing out into the uni-verse. “Future Shock,” Curtis Mayfield. The man for all seasons Curtis Mayfield, telling us that the future shock is now. So funky. “The World We Knew,” Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, from the album of the same name. A great version of the Frank Sinatra pean to a possible lost world. “Revolution Rock,” The Clash. Sure feels like time for a revolution; preferably one without burning buildings and a bunch of guns one-upping each other. Some possible revolutions: in earth-care, in empathy, in income equality, in an affordable nationwide health care system, for a responsible and humane immigration system, against the hegemony of rich old white guys in power, for sanity, for a future. ■

APRIL 2, 2020

Medical Marijuana

KEEPING UP WITH COVID

Dispensaries sell steadily as the industry looks to adapt By Nick Meyers tucsonweekly@tucsonlocalmedia.com AS WITH MANY BUSINESSES,

dispensaries continue to adapt to daily societal change in the face of the COVID-19 virus. While non-essential businesses remain closed for the foreseeable future, dispensaries continue to maintain recommended measures to keep patients and staff safe. Most dispensaries have adopted social-distancing policies to keep patients a

safe distance from each other and sanitation methods such as N-95 masks, latex gloves and liberal use of hand-sanitizer and disinfectant. Alex Lane, owner of Cave Creek Dispensary, said he has been on the frontlines at the dispensary every day, ensuring proper protocols for the safety of patients, employees and their families. Lane said he took precautions to ensure his employees can weather the quarantine, providing a $400 bonus for food and supplies, temporarily increasing wages by $3 per hour and allowing employees to take time off as they feel they need it. Most dispensaries saw a major increase in demand for cannabis during the third week of March, with some reaching record sales over previous years. Fewer than five have closed since Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order limiting certain types of businesses. Some dispensaries have discontinued daily deals and several patients have expressed concerns over price gouging. However, some dispensary owners have expressed concerns over the state’s supply of flower. Though supply seems to be steady for now, a plant-based commodity may make cultivation slow to adapt to an increased

demand. Additionally, as the virus spreads and more employees require time off to spend with kids out of school, deal with illness or simply practice social distancing, cultivators may not have the labor needed to get plants picked, prepped and packaged for store shelves. Patients may also find themselves burning through their stash faster than usual as they have more time to medicate while spending more time at home. Patients also express concerns over card renewals and evaluations, which must be done in-person. The Arizona Department of Health Services has so far not allowed for remote consultations nor the extension of expiration dates. The industry has also taken a closer look at deliveries as a distribution method during quarantine. Currently, the program’s delivery regulations require dispensary agents to have a separate $500 license for each dispensary at which they work, even within the same company. That means delivery services would require a license for each driver for each dispensary. Dispensaries can offer their own delivery services; however, many already struggle to meet the market surge while

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 17

trying to maintain limited staff to decrease social interaction. Cannabis promotion firm With A Bhang, sent a letter to DHS Director Cara Christ, petitioning the department to temporarily modify requirements so that dispensary agents can deliver from multiple dispensaries with a single card. The DHS has not made any changes yet. But apparently, they’re not the only state agency professionals feel are slow to react to the virus. The Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice sent a letter March 25 to state and local officials urging stricter guidelines beyond already adopted practices. Maricopa County Superior Court has limited in-person hearing to essentials such as felony pleas and sentencing, limit people inside the court room and delaying cases. But policies vary and they’re left to the discretion of judges and prosecutors. However, the AACJ doesn’t feel the measures go far enough, said member and cannabis defense lawyer Tom Dean. He said hallways are still packed, negating any effects of distancing within the courtroom and officials have not been triaging violent, non-violent and victimCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

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less crimes. The problem is particularly aggravated in rural areas, he said, where at least one official ordered the courts to maintain “business as usual.” The AACJ letter calls for statewide policies restricting arrests of non-violent offenders to decrease jail populations, allowing early probation for non-violent and technical offenses to decrease prison populations and limiting in-person appearances at court as much as possible. Politically, the state legislature has entered recess until April 13, and five bills concerning cannabis have run aground

with the rest of the system, according to Mikel Weisser, executive director of National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws-Arizona. The campaign for the Safe and Smart Arizona Act, which last week announced they’d accumulated more than 300,000 signatures—well above the required amount—has also suspended events, Weisser said. The initiative may be the only one of the ballot this year, Weisser said, as several other initiative attempts struggle to gather signatures thanks to the shutdown of large gatherings and social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. ■

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APRIL 2, 2020

TUCSON AREA DISPENSARIES BOTANICA

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6205 N. Travel Center Drive 395-0230; botanica.us Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily

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.

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6205 N. Travel Center Drive 395-0230; botanica.us Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily

THE GREEN HALO 7710 S. Wilmot Road 664-2251; thegreenhalo.org Open: Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Find the Latest, Local Coronavirus Info at www.tucsonweekly.com COVID-19

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 19

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2, 2020

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): “If all the world’s a stage, where the hell is the teleprompter,” asks aphorist Sami Feiring. In my astrological opinion, you Aries are the least likely of all the signs to identify with that perspective. While everyone else might wish they could be better prepared for the nonstop improvisational tests of everyday life, most of you tend to prefer what I call the “naked spontaneity” approach. If you were indeed given the chance to use a teleprompter, you’d probably ignore it. Everything I just said is especially and intensely true for you right now. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When Nobel Prizewinning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun was 25 years old, a doctor told him that the tuberculosis he had contracted would kill him within three months. But in fact, Hamsun lived 67 more years, till the age of 92. I suspect there’s an equally erroneous prophecy or unwarranted expectation impacting your life right now. A certain process or phenomenon that seems to be nearing an end may in fact reinvent or resurrect itself, going on to last for quite some time. I suggest you clear away any misapprehensions you or others might have about it. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I invite you to remember what you were thinking and feeling around your birthday in 2019. Were there specific goals you hoped to accomplish between then and your birthday in 2020? Were there bad old habits you aimed to dissolve and good new habits you proposed to instigate? Was there a lingering wound you aspired to heal or a debilitating memory you longed to conquer? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your progress in projects like those. And if you find that you have achieved less than you had hoped, I trust you will dedicate yourself to playing catch-up in the weeks between now and your birthday. You may be amazed at how much ground you can cover.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I can’t swim. Why? There was a good reason when I was a kid: I’m allergic to chlorine, and my mom wouldn’t let me take swimming lessons at the local chlorine-treated pool. Since then, the failure to learn is inexcusable, and I’m embarrassed about it. Is there an equivalent phenomenon in your life, my fellow Cancerian? The coming weeks might be an excellent time to meditate on how to correct the problem. Now excuse me while I head out to my solo self-administered swim lesson at Bass Lake, buoyed by the instructions I got from a Youtube video. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is William Shakespeare the greatest author who ever lived? French philosopher Voltaire didn’t think so, calling him “an amiable barbarian.” Russian superstar author Leo Tolstoy claimed The Bard had “a complete absence of aesthetic feeling.” England’s first Poet Laureate John Dryden called Shakespeare’s language “scarcely intelligible.” T. E. Lawrence, a.k.a Lawrence of Arabia, declared The Bard had a second-rate mind. Lord Byron said, “Shakespeare’s name stands too absurdly high and will go down.” His contemporary, the poet and playwright Ben Johnson, asserted that he “never had six lines together without a fault.” I offer these cheeky views to encourage you Leos to enjoy your own idol-toppling and authority-questioning activities in the coming weeks. You have license to be an irrepressible iconoclast. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Jack Ma is China’s richest person and one of the world’s most powerful businessmen. He co-founded Alibaba, the Chinese version of Amazon.com. He likes his employees to work hard, but also thinks they should cultivate a healthy balance between work and life. In his opinion, they should have sex six times a week, or 312 times a year. Some observers have suggested that’s too much—especially if you labor 12 hours a day, six days a week, as Jack Ma

SAVAGE LOVE OPEN AND SHUT

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

My husband and I got married in August of 2019 and we were together for over five years before getting married. I’m very happy and love him with all my heart. I want to have his kids and support his entrepreneurial efforts as he supports mine. We don’t fight, we just have some tiffs here and there. The kicker is that I have a tough time feeling him during sex and he doesn’t last as long as I would like him to. We’re adventurous enough to try different things, i.e. toys and different positions, but I find myself sexually unfulfilled. He also isn’t very willing/interested in going down on me, in fact he has not once gone down on me. I’m also finding myself attracted to and fantasizing about

other men. In addition to being honest with my husband, I don’t know what the solution is. I’m not opposed opening up a marriage but I worry that I’m just being selfish and that it’s too soon to try or even discuss it at any length. I did bring up a crush I have on a coworker and my husband said, “There’s nothing wrong with having a snack.” What did he mean by that? Do you have any other insights or suggestions on what to do? —Married Not Dead P.S. I hope you, your family, and your friends are holding up ok during this pandemic. It’s a scary time so I hope you’re all ok. I shared your letter with Tristan Taormi-

prefers—but it may not be excessive for you Virgos. The coming months could be a very erotic time. But please practice safe sex in every way imaginable. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How hard are you willing to work on your most important relationships? How might your life change for the better if you gave them your most potent resourcefulness and panache? The next eight weeks will be a favorable time for you to attend to these matters, Libra. During this fertile time, you will have unprecedented power to reinvigorate togetherness with imaginative innovations. I propose you undertake the following task: Treat your intimate alliances as creative art projects that warrant your supreme ingenuity. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I make mistakes,” confessed author Jean Kerr. “I’ll be the second to admit it.” She was making a joke, contrasting her tepid sense of responsibility with the humbler and more common version of the idiom, which is “I make mistakes; I’ll be the first to admit it.” In the coming weeks, I’ll be fine if you merely match her mild level of apology—just as long as you do indeed acknowledge some culpability in what has gone amiss or awry or off-kilter. One way or another, you need to be involved in atonement and correction—for your own sake. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you have been thinking of adopting a child or getting pregnant with a new child, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to enter a new phase of rumination about that possibility. If you’ve been dreaming off and on about a big project that could activate your dormant creative powers and captivate your imagination for a long time to come, now would be a perfect moment to get more practical about it. If you have fantasized about finding a new role that would allow you to express even more of your beauty and intelligence, you have arrived at a fertile phase to move to the next stage of that fantasy. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suggest you make room in your life for a time of sacred rejuvenation.

no, author of Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships. Through her books, lectures, and podcasts (“Sex Out Loud Radio”), Taormino has helped countless couples navigate the transition from monogamy to non-monogamy. But before we dive into the specifics of your situation, MND, there’s something Taormino and I want to make clear to all. “In this time of a global pandemic, thinking and talking about non-monogamy is all you can do right now,” said Taormino. “This goes for everyone: no new sex partners until public health experts say we can go back to standing closer than six feet apart. Even then, we’re going to have to proceed with caution.” Listen up, people: the woman who literally wrote the book on open relationships says open and poly relationships are cancelled for the time being. “Yup, cancelled,” said Taormino, “unless every one of

Here are activities you might try: Recall your favorite events of the past. Reconnect with your roots. Research your genetic heritage. Send prayers to your ancestors, and ask them to converse with you in your dreams. Have fun feeling what it must have been like when you were in your mother’s womb. Get a phone consultation with a past life regression therapist who can help you recover scenes from your previous incarnations. Feel reverence and gratitude for traditions that are still meaningful to you. Reaffirm your core values—the principles that serve as your lodestar. And here’s the number one task I recommend: Find a place of refuge in your imagination and memories; use your power of visualization to create an inner sanctuary. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Are we just being poetic and fanciful when we say that wonder is a survival skill? Not according to the editors who assembled the collection of essays gathered in a book called Wonder and Other Survival Skills. They propose that a capacity to feel awe and reverence can help us to be vital and vigorous; that an appreciation for marvelous things makes us smart and resilient; that it’s in our selfish interests to develop a humble longing for sublime beauty and an attraction to sacred experiences. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to dive deep into these healing pleasures, dear Aquarius. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For decades, the city of Sacramento, California suffered from severe floods when the Sacramento and American Rivers overflowed their banks. Residents authorized a series of measures to prevent these disasters, culminating in the construction of a 59,000-acre floodplain that solved the problem. According to my analysis, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to plan an equally systematic transformation. It could address a big ongoing problem like Sacramento’s floods, or it could be a strategy for reorganizing and recreating your life so as to gloriously serve your long-term dreams.■ Homework: It’s a good time to think about Shadow Blessings: https://tinyurl.com/ ShadowBlessings .

your partners lives with you.” While COVID-19 isn’t classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), having sex with someone who has coronavirus would almost certainly result in transmission. And since people who get infected typically don’t show symptoms for up to two weeks, the fact that someone appears to be healthy doesn’t mean they are corona-free. Someone can look and feel great and be both infected and infectious. So for the time being we should only be having sex with a sex partner we live with. If you have more than one sex partner and you’re all staying in the same place, great! Poly isn’t cancelled for you and your partners. But we shouldn’t be hooking up with new partners in person or going to see established partners we don’t live with. That goes CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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double for meeting up with non-cohabitating partners who have other partners and whose other partners have other partners of their own. But the good news is that sext messages and dirty video chats are both allowed and encouraged, kids, so we can get off online with new people as well as established partners who live on the other side of town or the other side of the world. Hell, get the whole polycule together on Zoom—just don’t actually get together with (or get under) anyone you don’t live with. Okay! With that out of the way, MND, we’re going to answer your question. But bear in mind that some of our advice— our advice about opening up your marriage—won’t be fully actionable until after COVID-19 is brought under control. “I’m glad MND is being honest with her husband about her desires, but let’s take that further with even more specific talk about what’s missing in her sex life,” said Taormino. “In her letter, I heard: pussyeating, intense enough sensation from intercourse, and longer sex sessions. I’ll translate that: she’s missing pleasure, reciprocation, and orgasms for her. She is NOT being selfish for wanting these things. They are pretty fundamental aspects of a sexual relationship, and she needs to address them with her husband first.” Backing way the hell up: assuming you knew about my column five years ago, MND, it’s telling you didn’t ask for my advice back when you realized your new boyfriend was never going to eat your pussy. (Spoiler: I would’ve told you to dump him.) Since you chose not to break up with your boyfriend over the lack cunnilingus back then and you don’t want to divorce your husband over it now, MND, it would seem that going without oral—at least going without at home—is the price of admission you’re willing to pay to be with this guy. As for your other issues about your sex life with your husband—you don’t “feel him” during penis-in-vagina (PIV) intercourse and it’s over too quickly—the right toys could certainly help. But if your husband ruled out penetration toys that were bigger than his cock, MND, or if you didn’t order any that were bigger than his cock to avoid hurting his feelings, you’re gonna have to broach the subject of buying some larger toys, MND, ones you can really feel. And since experimenting with new positions didn’t help your husband last longer, you should try alternating between toys and his cock during PIV, which will make both the sex (and the husband) last longer.

As for opening up the relationship, MND, I wouldn’t advise most people to initiate that convo at this moment. Because if the conversation goes badly—and they often do at first—that could mean sheltering in place with an angry person. But based on your husband’s reaction when you confessed having a crush on a coworker, MND, I think you could risk discussing opening up while you’re locked down. But first things first: you need to work with your husband on improving your sex life at home and you should have a convo about that—and a convo about ordering some new sex toys—before you make plans to open up the relationship and start getting your pussy eaten elsewhere. “Exploring non-monogamy is one way to address sexual incompatibilities and expand our capacity for love and intimacy,” said Taormino. “But the stuff between the two of them needs to gets talked about first. Otherwise, you’re glossing over the issues with something new and shiny.” I’ve been in love with a close friend for years. Social distancing has thrown major life “regrets” into high relief and I would be crushed if something happened to him. We’ve both been distancing for two weeks and neither of us have symptoms. Can I have him come over to hang out? What if we ended up making out or hooking up? He has housemates and I don’t, so he’s around more people than I am, but everyone at his house has been distancing too. I see so many questions about hooking up with randos and that seems like a clear no-no. But what about hooking up with someone you know? —No Regrets Also a no-no, NR. We’re not supposed to come within six feet of anyone we don’t live with, NR, which means you can’t invite this guy over to play cribbage and/or fuck you senseless. If you wanted to invite this guy over to stay, you could shack up and wait out the lockdown together. But you can’t invite him over just to play. Instead of inviting him over and hoping for something to happen, NR, you should give this guy a call and tell him how you feel. He might feel the same way and want to be your quarantine buddy. But if he doesn’t feel the same way, at least you’ll know. Rejections we can get over, NR, but regrets are for life. ■ Listen to the Savage Lovecast every week at www.savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage

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