South Tucson Opposes New Walgreens Liquor License

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March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
South Tucson Opposes New Walgreens Liquor License
By Nathan Mitchell
South Tucson’s packed city hall
broke into cheers when the city
council voted unanimously to
oppose Walgreens’ liquor license.
The license will go before the
state liquor board in either April or
May, said Peter Schelstraete, Walgreens’ lawyer. In the past, licenses
have been approved despite the
council voting against them, South
Tucson Mayor Jennifer Eckstrom
said.
“The best we can do is forward
our recommendation,” she said.
The Class 10 license would
allow the store—located at 1900 S.
Sixth Ave.—to sell beer and wine
to go. It must receive final
approval from the Arizona
Department of Liquor Licenses
and Control.
Twenty-six John Valenzuela
Youth 2 Youth (Y2Y) members—
between the ages of 12 and 18—
interrupted a presentation on a city
workers’ health plan at the Tucson
City Hall meeting on Feb. 22, shifting the council’s attention and
making their objective clear: prevent an area Walgreens from getting a liquor license.
The kids in sneakers, backpacks and hooded sweatshirts
filled the remaining seats and
lined the walls. When the
Photo
couRtesy oF
oscaR cesena
From left, Elisa Schwartz, Ricardo Tovar and Inez Garcia protest Walgreens' application for a liquor license with signs.
Walgreens discussion began, they
raised their protest signs with
phrases like “Progress Not Profit,”
and “Alcohol Will Ruin Our
Community.”
Residents who opposed the
license filed to the lectern to voice
their concerns in English and
Spanish. One Y2Y member shared
a story about his mother locking his
intoxicated “Tío” out of the house.
Others accused Walgreens of preying on the weaknesses of residents
who struggle with alcohol and drug
abuse.
“I don’t want to be like all the
other teenagers…most of them
party,” said Brianna Fransisco,
15. “I want to make something out
of myself.”
Each speech opposing the
license ended with applause.
“We can overcome the greedy
corporate people [from Walgreens] that want to poison the people with alcohol,” said Brian Flagg
of Casa Maria, throwing his hands
up to the crowd.
The decision to oppose the
license comes after weeks of public
debate. In the first of the meetings,
a petition with 20 names was submitted to the council. Two weeks
later the number of signatures had
grown to 781, nearly 14 percent of
the City of South Tucson. There
were also three letters in opposition
and two local supporters of the
license.
Those opposed said they were
concerned about increased criminal activity. City Manager
Enrique G. Serna submitted a
packet to the council that included a police report citing 405 calls
made to the location from Feb. 1,
2009 to Feb 1, 2010.
More than 140 arrests were
made. His opposition reflects the
city’s efforts to clean up the com‘Walgreens’/see page 6
Sunnyside Remains King of Wrestling
By Brett Booen
Photo
by
otto Ross
Students at Sierra Middle School twirl during an after-school folklorico dance program.
Obesity Rates Rise, SUSD
Middle Schools Fight Back
By Shelby Hill
Seven middle school girls step,
kick and spin to pop songs like
“Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry. Their
teacher wears a black shirt that
says “Step Up” on the front and
“Rock That Body” on the back.
She calls out, “1, 2, 3 and 1, 2, 3,
keep breathing.”
Aside from the fact that the girls
are wearing their school uniforms
and that the class is taking place in
the school’s hallway, it could very
well be a step aerobics class at an
expensive gym.
This after-school program at
Sierra Middle School is part of a
combined effort by Sunnyside
Unified School District, the
University of Arizona and the
Triangle Y Ranch Camp to
increase physical activity in middle schools to fight rising child-
hood obesity rates.
“We just wanted the kids to be
active,” says Jesse Espinosa, who
runs a before-school program at
Sierra, 5801 S. Del Moral Blvd.,
where kids can skateboard, mountain bike and play indoor hockey,
among other activities.
Skateboards, pads, helmets,
indoor hockey gear and other
sporting equipment are provided
by a $1.9 million U.S. Department
of Education grant, which was
awarded to the district in June
2008. The grant runs for three
years and is now at the halfway
mark.
The equipment circulates
through the SUSD middle schools
and returns to the Triangle Y for
summer camp, says Jennifer
Reeves, an associate research
‘Obesity’/see page 6
Sometimes high school athletic
programs can string together four
or five championships in a row and
people start calling them dynasties.
But sometimes programs become so dominant that the association shifts from a momentary snapshot of success to possibly being
one of the greatest to ever compete
in Arizona.
The Sunnyside High School
wrestling program reaffirmed its
place among the best in history on
Feb. 20 with a 35-24 win over
Ironwood Ridge in the 5A-II state
wrestling championship at Tempe
High School. It was the 13th consecutive state championship and
the 28th overall for the storied
wrestling program.
The Blue Devils have seized
just about every Arizona high
school wrestling record imaginable
in nearly four decades of dominance.
The last time Sunnyside did not
win a state title was in 1997 when
it lost to Tempe’s Marcos de Niza
High School by 6.5 points. Since
that loss, however, the Blue Devils
have rattled off a record 13 titles in
E
D
I
INS
a row.
There is no saying what that
number could rise to in the coming
years with the elite talent that pours
into the school year after year.
“If people wanted to pick on us,
this was going to be the year to do
it,” said Sunnyside wrestling coach
Bobby DeBerry. “Because down
the road in the future, things look
pretty darn good.”
After
trailing
top-seeded
Ironwood Ridge 15-4 early in the
title match this year, No. 2
Sunnyside needed wins in six of
the final seven matches to keep the
championship streak alive.
Sunnyside got the crucial wins
it needed down the stretch and
eventually won by 11 points, the
closest margin of victory in the title
match in over 10 years.
Sunnyside showed some serious
mettle when it mattered most. This
was supposed to be the year that
the championship streak ended for
the Blue Devils. Wrestling critics
across Southern Arizona cited
youth and inexperience as reasons
the chain of titles would break.
So how was it that youthful
Sunnyside prevailed in such a
high-pressure situation?
Tucson homeless count
rises by 16
percent.
...see page 2
Photo
by
Kaite Flynn
Kory DeBerry charges at a team mate
during Sunnyside High School wrestling
practice.
“It’s perseverance,” DeBerry
said. “We’re in a community
where, at times, things can be very
difficult. Some of the kids come
from families where every day can
be a struggle.
“But the kids are able to take the
tough way that they have to live on
a day-to-day basis and transfer it
into a positive and use that to motivate themselves to do well,” he
said.
‘Wrestling’/see page 6
TRD Saddletramps trounce
Canada.
...see page 4
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March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Tucson’s Homeless Increase by 16 Percent
By Jessica Befort
A few months ago Hubert Russell
was gainfully employed at a local
plastics company. Today, he sits in
the February sun outside the Primavera Foundation, a place where
homeless people can collect phone
messages, their mail and medicine –
things they don’t have access to on
the street. He now spends his nights
at a Salvation Army shelter.
“It’s better than being outside,”
he says quietly.
Hubert was one of 1,561 homeless people counted in late January
during the 2010 Homeless Street
Count, a 16 percent increase from
last year, according to Sylvia
Cuestas and Laurie Mazerbo, cochairs of the count.
“We’re seeing a lot more newlyhomeless folks on the street,”
Mazerbo said. “Those are the folks
that were on the fringes and…when
the economy really plunged, they
were the folks that lost their jobs
and lost their housing.”
The street count, sponsored by
the Tucson Planning Council for
the Homeless, occurs once a year.
This year’s event was held at
6:30 p.m. instead of 5 a.m. in order
to recruit more volunteers and
count more homeless people who
hide when they sleep, Mazerbo
said.
With so many people living on
Tucson’s streets, and the numbers
increasing all the time, the ability
of local agencies to accommodate
their needs is challenged.
Photo by Kaite Flynn
Men mingle outside Casa Maria, a place where people in need can receive free meals and other services.
Demand for the services of the
Community Food Bank has increased 54 percent from last fiscal
year, said Jean Fox, their agency
relations manager.
The majority of the food bank’s
clients are new, Fox said, an observation that mirrors Mazerbo’s. These
first-timers include middle-aged single people, seniors and families.
Last fiscal year, the Community
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Food Bank handed out six million
pounds of food, Fox said. If
demand continues at its current
rate, she said, the food bank will
provide almost 30 million pounds
this year.
Youth On Their Own, a local
organization that helps homeless,
unaccompanied youth complete
their high school diploma, is experiencing similar issues, said Heidi
Reynolds-Stenson, volunteer and
development coordinator.
Seven months into the school
year, the organization has had 521
homeless youth apply to its programs, up from 456 at the same
time one year earlier.
But as the number has
increased, funding has dropped.
In past years, the organization
received a $50,000 grant from
Pima County, Reynolds-Stenson
said, to give homeless youth up to
$125 per month depending on their
school grades and attendance.
This year, the $50,000 didn’t
come through.
The Primavera Foundation,
which also provides rental assistance, emergency shelters and
employment assistance, also faces
similar funding cuts and increases
in demand.
Three years ago, their men’s
shelter would be empty in the
summer, said Renee Bibby, marketing coordinator. But not anymore. The men’s and family emergency shelters have had 15 to 30
people on a wait list for the past 18
months.
Despite the increased demand
for their services, Primavera faces a
possible $200,000 cut in funding
from the city, Bibby said.
“It’s like they’re saying, ‘Here’s
less money, but serve more people,’” she said.
Meanwhile, people like Russell
sit quietly outside Primavera, his
answers two or three words.
Periodically he glances toward the
street as a car goes by.
“There’s good days and bad
days,” he says of being homeless.
He’ll stay in Tucson for a little
longer, to wait and see if things
improve. He has a job interview
this afternoon.
If things don’t get better, he’s
leaving, headed back to Texas
where he’s originally from. Things
just might be better there.
Aquí no hay problemas fiscales
Escrito por Steve Ivanovics
Traducido por Lizette M. Pérez
Los impuestos pueden ser frustrantes, sin embargo, ahora que se
acerca la fecha límite de abril, un
programa local está ofreciendo a
las familias trabajadoras preparar
sus impuestos de manera gratuita.
El United Way of Tucson’s
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
(VITA por sus siglas en inglés)
ayuda a los residentes del condado
de Pima cuyos ingresos sean de
bajos a moderados a recibir el
máximo reembolso de impuestos
federales.
El Internal Revenue Service
(IRS por sus siglas en inglés)
comenzó el programa en la década
de 1970, pero el United Way se hizo
cargo en el 2003. El United Way y el
IRS siguen trabajando en conjunto
para entrenar y certificar a voluntarios.
“Nuestros voluntarios ayudan a
las personas y a familias que necesitan cada centavo”, dijo Cheyenne
Arreola, gerente del proyecto de
VITA. “Queremos llegar a tantas
personas y familias como nos sea
posible cuyos ingresos sean
menores de $50,000 dólares”.
Arreola dijo que durante la temporada de impuestos pasada, VITA
ayudó cerca de 6.000 personas en el
condado de Pima, y que desde principios de este febrero ha ayudado
alrededor de unas 1,600 personas.
De acuerdo con Arreola,
muchas de las personas a las que
VITA ayuda no tienen conocimientos de computación o acceso regular a una computadora.
Uno de los mayores retos de
VITA es el conseguir suficientes
voluntarios para ayudar a todos en
la comunidad.
“Es un servicio de todos para
todos”, dijo Arreola. “La mayor
frustración que encuentro es no
poder ayudar a toda la gente ya que
no contamos con suficientes voluntarios”.
Arreola dijo también que es
todo un desafío conseguir socios
comunitarios que estén dispuestos
a ayudar y ofrecer un sitio/un
lugar.
Aunque el programa tiene
algunos obstáculos que superar,
éste ha ayudado a miles de personas
Información
complementaria
• El Pueblo Activity Center:
miércoles 3:30-6:30 p.m.
viernes y sábado 9:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Quincie Douglas Library
martes, jueves, y sábado 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• Para ver el horario completo de VITA o informarse acerca de cómo
ser un voluntario, visite
www.unitedwaytucson.or
g/Income/finacialstabilty
/VITA
de Tucsón a estar en una situación
financiera más estable, reflejando
así el objetivo de United Way de
construir una comunidad más
fuerte.
Las ubicaciones actuales de
VITA en el sur de Tucsón incluyen:
Pueblo Activity Center, ubicado en
101 W. Irvington Rd., y el Qunicie
Douglas Branch Library, en 1585
E. 36th St.
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Peña Blanca Lake Reopens for Public Use
By Josh T. Saunders
Peña Blanca Lake has come back
to life, and all it took were some
winter desert storms.
Thanks to more than four inches
of rain in Southern Arizona this
year, Peña Blanca Lake is full again
and reopened to the public.
Created in 1957, Peña Blanca
Lake was a hotspot for fishing,
boating and camping. Northwest
of Nogales at an altitude of 4,000
feet, the lake was a cooler oasis for
Tucsonans seeking refuge from the
valley heat.
But the lake was drained in
September 2008 to filter out deadly
Fast Facts
• Located 68 miles south of
Tucson
• 15-unit campground,
group-use area, picnic
sites
• Open year round
• Arizona fishing license
required for anglers
Visit Elindenews.com for a
map and more information.
mercury which had leached in from
surrounding mines. Once empty,
the lakebed was lined with clean
soil and the winter storms have
since refilled it to the brim.
Outdoorsmen and families can
find themselves on the shores of
this revived Southern Arizona
treasure an hour’s drive from
Tucson.
The 50-acre lake was recently
stocked with rainbow trout, and the
Arizona Game and Fish Department
has plans to add other species as
well. Fishing is open to any angler
with an Arizona fishing license.
Currently, boats that can be carried by hand to the water can use
the lake. There are plans to build a
new dock and boat ramp in April to
allow the use of motorized boats.
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March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Page / Página 3
Nuestras Raíces trae la cultura
méxico-americana al Festival
Escrito por Heather Rissi
Traducido por Dina Tyrrell
Photo couRtesy
oF
oscaR cesena
Angel Gonzalez, izquierda, con Youth 2 Youth, protesta la aplicación para la licencia de liquor en Walgreens del Sur de Tucsón.
Residentes del Sur de Tucsón
se oponen a licencia de licor
Por Nathan Mitchell
Traducido por Dina Tyrrell
Niños en tennis, mochilas y sudaderas con gorros caminan por los
pasillos de la entrada al City Hall,
llenando los asientos que quedan y
alineándose en las paredes del
cuarto.
El 22 de febrero, 26 miembros
de John Valenzuela Youth 2 Youth
(Y2Y) interrumpieron una junta
de la presentación del plan del
cuidado de la salud de los trabajadores de la ciudad en el Tucson
City Hall, llamando la atención
del consejo, poniendo en claro el
objetivo de esa tarde.
Cuando la discusión acerca de
Walgreens comenzó, los jóvenes
miembros alzaron sus pancartas de
protesta, las cuales tenían frases
como, “Progreso no utilidades”, y
“El alcohol arruinará nuestra
comunidad”.
Los miembros de Y2Y se presentaron para oponerse a la
aprobación de la nueva licencia de
licor para Walgreens de la 1900 S.
Sixth Ave.
Los residentes del Sur de
Tucsón también estuvieron presentes para oponerse a la licencia.
Subieron al atril para expresar sus
preocupaciones en inglés y en
español.
Un miembro de Y2Y compartió
la historia de su madre que tuvo
que encerrarse en su propia casa
dejando a su tío afuera por borracho. Otros acusaron a Walgreens
por explotar las debilidades de los
residentes que luchan contra el
alcohol y el abuso de drogas.
“No quiero ser como los demás
adolescentes. . . la mayoría de
ellos fiestean”, dijo la quinceañera
Brianna Fransisco. “Quiero ser
alguien en la vida”.
Cada discurso que se oponía a
la licencia terminaba con aplausos.
“Podemos vencer al corporativo codicioso (de Walgreens) que
qui-ere envenenar a la gente con
alcohol”, dijo Brian Flagg de Casa
Ma-ria, lanzando sus brazos hacia
la muchedumbre.
Los que estaban presentes irrumpieron en ovaciones más tarde
cuando el consejo de la ciudad
voto unánimemente oponiéndose a
la licencia de licor de Walgreens.
La decisión de oponerse a la
licencia emana de varias semanas
de debate público. En las primeras
reuniones, una petición con 20
nombres fue entregada al consejo.
Dos semanas más tarde el número
de firmas había crecido a 781, más
de 14 por ciento de la ciudad.
Los oponentes dijeron que el
incremento en actividades criminales era la preocupación mayor.
El administrador de la ciudad del
Sur de Tucsón Enrique G. Serna
presentó un paquete al consejo que
incluía un informe policial, el cual
citaba 405 llamadas hechas a esa
localidad desde el 1 de feb. 2009
hasta el 1 de feb. 2010.
Más de 140 arrestos fueron
hechos. Su oposición reflejaba los
esfuerzos de la ciudad de limpiar
la comunidad, la cual lucha contra
el abuso de alcohol y drogas.
“Es una bofetada en la cara”,
dijo Serna de la decisión de
Walgreens de ignorar la situación
de la comunidad y solicitar la licencia.
En su paquete, Serna señaló
que los arrestos hechos en
Walgreens le costó $20.000 a la
ciudad al año, por cárcel y pagos
de procesamientos, a la ciudad. El
número de llamadas, y por ende,
los gastos de la ciudad, incrementarían si la licencia fuese aprobada, él escribió.
La licencia de licor, es una de
unas 160 que Walgreens ha recientemente solicitado en Arizona. Es
un esfuerzo que la compañía está
haciendo para mantenerse competitiva en una economía débil, dijo
Schelstraete.
Si se aprueba, la tienda planea
evitar lo que el abogado de
Walgreens Peter Schelstraete llama
“bebidas altas en octanaje” lo que
significa bebidas que son bajas en
precio y altas en contenido alcohólico.
“Lo que es bueno para la comunidad es bueno para Walgreens”,
dijo Schelstraete.
Sin embargo, la alcalde del Sur
de Tucsón Jennifer Eckstrom no
está convencida.
La decisión de la cabeza del
corporativo Walgreens de añadir
otro local de alcohol en el Sur de
Tucsón no concuerda con la comunidad, ella dijo.
“¿Cómo alguien que se encuentra en Illinois puede saber cuáles
son los mejores intereses para la
comunidad?”, pregunta ella, refiriéndose a la sede del corporativo
Walgreens.
Además, Eckstrom dijo que las
licencias han sido aprobadas en el
pasado a pesar de que el consejo
votara en su contra.
La licencia Clase 10, la cual le
permitirá a la tienda vender
cerveza y alcohol para llevar,
deberá recibir aprobación final del
Departamento de Control y
Licencias de Licor de Arizona.
La licencia se presentará ante la
junta del estado en abril o en
mayo, dijo Schelstraete.
Peña Blanca abre de nuevo para todos
Escrito por Josh Saunders T.
Traducido por Lizette M. Pérez
El lago Peña Blanca ha vuelto a la vida y solo requirió
que el desierto tuviera sus lluvias invernales.
El lago una vez más está lleno de agua y abierto al
público, gracias a las cuatro pulgadas de lluvia registradas este año en el sur de Arizona.
Dicho lago creado en 1957 era el lugar favorito
para ir de pesca, dar un paseo en barca y acampar.
Ubicado justo al noroeste de Nogales y a una altitud de 4.000 pies, el lago era un refrescante oasis para
los ciudadanos de Tucsón que buscaban salir del
calor.
Sin embargo, el lago fue drenado en septiembre del
2008 a causa del tóxico mercurio, proveniente de las
minas cercanas, que se había filtrado.
Una vez vacío, el lecho del lago se recubrió con
tierra limpia y ahora las tormentas invernales lo han
vuelto a llenar hasta el borde.
Una vez más, las familias y personas que gustan del
aire libre, pueden volver a disfrutar en las costas de
este tesoro del sur de Ariz-ona, que ha vuelto a nacer y
que en auto está a solo una hora de Tucsón.
TheArizona Game and Fish Department ha abaste-
Nuestras Raíces, el programa de la
Biblioteca Pública de Tucson que
celebra la cultura méxico-americana, se une al Festival de Libros
de Tucson.
Antes, la biblioteca sólo tenía
un festival para Nuestras Raíces
(Our Roots) en marzo de cada
año, dice Adriana Rendon, la bibliotecaria y la co-presidenta de
Nuestras Raíces. Este año, la biblioteca unió esfuerzos con otros
grupos para mostrar diferentes
aspectos de la cultura méxicoamericana, como la música, el
lenguaje y las artes durante el
Festival del Libros de la
Universidad de Arizona, el 13 y
14 de marzo.
La meta al combinar los dos
programas con el Festival del
Libros es alcanzar una audiencia
mayor, dijo Rendon, así como también hacer el festival del libro más
accesible a la comunidad méxicoamericana.
“El festival fue un gran éxito el
año pasado”, dijo Rendon. “Más de
50,000 personas asistieron. Por eso
es bueno compartir en lo que estamos trabajando y formar una
sociedad”.
Nuestras Raíces era comúnmente un sólo evento en la primavera, pero este año habrá varios
eventos a lo largo del año. De
cualquier modo, el Festival del
Libros proveerá las bases para el
programa, dijo Rendon.
La biblioteca participó en el festival el año pasado, dijo ella, y presentó una conversación con el autor
Luis Alberto Urrea, el cual es conocido por escribir “The Devil’s
Highway”, y otros libros. Más de
400 personas asistieron.
“La gente tenía un gran interés
de verle y conocerle”, ella dijo.
“Algunos esperaron por horas por
una oportunidad de hablar con él
después del evento”.
Este año, los asistentes al festival podrán escuchar a Urrea de
nuevo y preguntarle todas esas
“preguntas ansiosas” acerca de su
vida en una sesión de preguntas y
respuestas, ella dijo.
La gente también podrá disfrutar de una actuación teatral presentada por estudiantes y graduados
del programa de los Estudios
México-Americanos de Tucson
High School.
El teatro de Tierra Birthmarks
presentará como una docena de
monólogos escritos y actuados por
estudiantes, dijo Curtis Acosta, un
maestro de Tucson High y líder del
grupo.
Los estudiantes desarrollaron la
actuación buscando y entrevistando a gente de la comunidad, él
dijo.
Ellos actuarán monólogos acerca de un educador sordo, un
migrante mexicano, y una mujer
musulmana, entre otros. Unos
cuantos monólogos serán en
español, pero la mayoría son en
inglés.
El programa es muy importante
porque fue hecho “auténticamente”, dijo Acosta, y porque los
estudiantes y la comunidad trabajaron duro para dar vida a los personajes en los monólogos.
Otro evento del festival es la
competencia de mariachi juvenil.
“El año pasado fue estructurado
como American Idol”, dijo
Rendon. “Fue muy emocionante
para las familias y la comunidad
ver el talento de los jóvenes en sus
entornos”.
También habrá un panel de
autores para discutir la identidad
méxico-americana con Gustavo
Arellano, el cual escribe la controvertida columna sindicada “Ask a
Mexican” (Pregúntele a un mexicano), y con Rosa Castillo
Guilbault, escritora de la autobiografía “Farmworker’s Daughter:
Growing
Up
Mexican
in
America”.
Rendon dijo que la meta principal de los eventos de Nuestras
Raíces en el Festival del Libros no
es sólo el alcanzar a la comunidad
méxico-americana, pero también
construir comunión al celebrar la
rica historia artística de la cultura
con todos los tucsonenses.
Guilbault dice que espera ver
gente joven en el festival, los
cuales quieran aprender más acerca
de su cultura, y también escritores
que quieran aprender más acerca de
su arte.
También señaló que la gente a
veces tiene los mismos “fundamentos básicos”, sin importar la
nacionalidad o etnicidad, lo que
hace fácil relacionarse con otros.
“Hay una universalidad en
todas nuestras historias”, dijo
Guibault.
“La universalidad ayuda a la
sociedad”, dijo ella. “Ayuda al
mundo, porque podemos ver a
todos y ver sus similitudes y decir,
‘Hey, no somos tan diferentes’”.
Bull Riding at the Rodeo
Peña Blanca
• Ubicado a 68 kilómetros al sur de
Tucsón
• Áreas para: acampar para 15 unidades,
grupos, y días de campo
• Abierto todo el año
• Licencia de pesca de AZ necesaria para
pescadores
Para un mapa y mayor información visite
Elindenews.com
cido el lago de 50 acres con trucha arco iris y tiene
planes de añadir otras especies. Cualquier pescador
con una licencia de pesca del estado de Arizona puede
ir a pescar.
Por el momento, los barcos que se pueden llevar al
lago manualmente tienen permitida la entrada.
Sin embargo, los barcos motorizados no podrán
entrar hasta que se construya un nuevo muelle y una
rampa, lo cual está planeado para el mes de abril.
Photo
by
Kaite Flynn
Steve Woolsey falls to the ground after being thrown from a
bull at the Tucson Rodeo. The rodeo was held from Feb. 20
through Feb. 28.
To see more photos from the Tucson Rodeo and the Rodeo
Parade visit elindenews.com.
El INDEPENDIENTE
Page / Página 4
March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Saddletramps Skate to Local Stardom
By Erica Nannini
Eye-gouging and hair-pulling are
no-nos.
Light jabbing, pushing and
diving into opponents, however,
are completely legal in the Tucson
Roller Derby women’s league.
In the first international showdown at the Tucson Indoor Sports
Center, Montreal’s New Skids on
the Block came skating in with
toy noses, lime green T-shirts and
the hunger for a win over the
Roller
Derby
Tucson
Saddletramps.
But the hell-raisin’ home team,
donned in black uniforms, was
not prepared to be overthrown by
their Canadian counterparts.
A referee starts the bout, or
match-up, with the blow of a
whistle.
Roller derby hit the mainstream about 10 years ago. The
Women’s Flat Track Derby
Association governs the rules of
the sport, ensuring that the play
doesn’t get too scrappy. Women
with names like Helen Wheels
and Nokka Ho Down wear helmets, knee pads and elbow pads,
as they glide on old-school fourwheelers to try to out-skate and
out-muscle one another around
the makeshift track.
Each player on the track helps
the team score points. The jammer, singled out by the star on her
helmet, tries to break away from
the circling pack of girls to lap
them and score points. Three
blockers pave the way for the
jammer, and at the same time do
whatever it takes to prevent the
other team’s jammer from scoring. Girl number five is the pivot,
who skates near the front of the
pack to keep pace and provide the
last line of defense against the
opposing jammer. Each bout is
60 minutes and consists of an
unlimited number of two-minute
jams.
“You have to want to block and
get hit and get hurt,” says stay-athome mom Elia Chap, who was
drafted by the Copper Queens in
January. Her derby name has not
yet been approved by the league,
but she is crossing her fingers for
Mad Dawg 22.
Chap says she has only suffered bruises and minor injuries,
but she has seen everything from
torn ligaments to ribs popped out
of place. Broken skates are a routine part of the game, she says.
Even girls who are reluctant to
unleash their inner Mike Tyson
can be transformed by the spirit of
the game.
Bri Date, or Bea N. Hayve as
she is known to her teammates
since she began competing with
the TRD last October, says roller
derby brings out her fierce side.
As the head of production for this
bout, she stands out in a neon
United Way
Offers Free
Tax Service
By Steve Ivanovics
Photo by otto Ross
Top: Kamanda and Poly Graf flank Georgia W. Tush during the match. Bottom: Polly Graf comes up behind another player.
Catch the Saddletramps in
their next throwdown!
Who: TRD Saddletramps vs.
Gotham Girls’ Wall Street Traitors
When: Starts 7 p.m. Saturday,
March 20 Where: TISC (formerly
Bladeworld), 1065 W. Grant
Road Tickets: $10 at the door or $7 in
advance at Bookmans or
www.tucsonrollerderby.com. spandex tummy-baring suit and
cowboy hat.
“The part that’s least like me is
the whole hitting thing,” says
Date. “It requires you to step up
and let loose.”
Part of the trick is getting into
character on the track. Date recommends letting your alter ego
take over, just as she allows Bea
N. Hayve to forget the rules of etiquette.
The audience of nearly 1,200
folks (which puts the center at
capacity) is transformed as well.
From the back of the crowd, an
older woman with a Bud Light in
hand shouts,
“I came here to see some girls
get their asses kicked!”
In a different corner, a group of
college-age boys chant “U.S.A.”
at the top of their lungs as a man
in a leather vest starts up the
wave. A huddle of girl scouts
ranging from ages 5 to 9 take a
break from their cookie-selling
duties to watch the action behind
a line of “caution” tape.
One of the girls from troop
1616, Kailee Emmett, 9, says that
she loves seeing the girls skate
and get beat up.
“I wanna do that when I get
older!” she says as her fellow
scouts nod in agreement.
Indeed, Date considers the
sport to be a healthy bonding
activity for girls of any age (the
typical range is 18 to mid-40s).
“It’s probably the strongest
group of women that I’ve found in
Tucson,” she says.
“It really takes over your life
in a great way.”
Chap says that the fun and
stress-relief is worth the commute
that she makes from her home in
Sonoita to practices at Catalina
High School, which are held three
times a week or more.
She brings her 6-year-old
daughter to bouts and gets her
excited about putting on mom’s
skates one day.
On a recent Friday night, the
place is filled with many young
girls chomping at the bit for their
chance at roller derby stardom—it
is as if a new breed of Hellbent
Bettys and Bianka Trohls have
materialized before the final
whistle is blown. At the end of
the match, the Saddletramps are
stretching together and basking in
their 117 to 108 victory over
Montreal. Several young girls
gather around #29 blocker Venus
Dynamite, asking for autographs.
The tight-knit team, which is now
comfortably seated at 2-0 in the
league, is a group of celebrities in
the eyes of the diverse and rowdy
crowd at TISC.
To those who would encourage
the next generation of girls to take
up a more traditionally “civilized”
hobby,
Date points to football, which
is a socially-accepted, predominantly male sport. She says that
roller derby requires the same
amount of tackling and intensity.
“Except
we
wear
less
padding,” she says.
“Oh yeah, and we’re on
skates!”
Taxes can be daunting, but a local
program is offering free tax preparation to working families as the
April deadline approaches.
The United Way of Tucson’s
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
(VITA) helps Pima County residents of low to moderate income
receive the maximum in federal tax
refunds.
The program was started by the
Internal Revenue Service in the
1970s, but United Way took over
the program in 2003. United Way
still partners with the IRS to train
and certify volunteers.
“Our volunteers help people
and families that need every
dime,” said Cheyenne Arreola,
project manager of VITA. “We
want to reach as many people and
families as possible earning under
$50,000.”
Arreola said VITA helped
close to 6,000 people in Pima
County during last year’s tax season and has helped around 1,600
people since the beginning of
February.
According to Arreola, many of
the people VITA helps are those
who don’t have computer skills or
regular access to a computer.
One of VITA’s biggest challenges is getting enough volunteers to help everyone in the community.
“It’s a service for everybody
from everybody,” Arreola said.
“The biggest heartbreak I
encounter is turning away people
because we don’t have enough
volunteers.”
Arreola said it’s also a challenge to get community partners
to step up and host a site.
Though the program has a few
obstacles to overcome, it has
helped thousands of Tucsonans
become more financially stable,
which echoes the United Way’s
goal of building a stronger community.
2010 VITA locations
El Pueblo Activity Center:
Wednesday 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Quincie Douglas branch library:
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
12:30-3:30 p.m.
For more information and
locations visit: www.unitedwaytucson.org/
income/financial-stability/VITA
Halted Project Finds Friends in Non Profit
By Amy Kissinger
A non-profit organization is rising
to the challenge of completing the
San Agustín Mission Gardens, a
project that was halted due to a
lack of funds.
The gardens, located along the
west bank of the Santa Cruz
River, were started in early 2000
as part of Tucson’s Rio Nuevo
project.
However, the city manager put
a hold on the project last May,
said Peg Weber of Tucson Parks
and Recreation.
Now the Friends of Tucson’s
Birthplace, a non-profit organization, is working with the city to
raise funding and donations to
jump-start the construction, said
Bill DuPont, a member of the
organization.
The first step the group took
was to apply for non-profit status,
which they received, DuPont said.
Since then, the organization
has solicited donations from about
47 people and organizations,
including donated security fencing — valued at $12,000 — from
Lloyd Construction, the company
contracted to build the gardens,
DuPont said.
The group is “trying to make
sure this doesn’t die,” he said.
“There’s a lot of history there
that we’re trying to resurrect,” he
said.
The site has been host to “culture upon culture upon culture”
and is something unique to
Tucson, DuPont said.
When completed, the garden
will have representations of agriculture from throughout Tucson’s
history, including a Spanish colonial-era garden.
Visit El Independiente
online at:
www.elindenews.com
Photo couRtesy
oF
city
oF
tucson
El INDEPENDIENTE
March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Page / Página 5
Native American Band Rocks Antonio’s
By Tony Hasan
Photo by tammy cRawFoRd
Alfonso Thomas plays the violin for the band Gertie And The T.O. Boys at Antonio's.
Hidden Treasure: the
Rocky Trail Through
Tucson Mountain Park
By Tammy Crawford
With spring rapidly approaching,
many Tucsonans may want to get
out into the fresh, warm air. The
Lorraine Lee Hidden Canyon Trail
is the perfect place to get some
exercise and connect with nature
on a path recently renamed for a
Tucson activist.
Tucked away in the Tucson
Mountain Park, the trail is located
behind the JW Marriott Starr Pass
Resort and Spa at 3800 W. Starr
Pass Blvd. Visitors simply pull up
behind the resort and park their
cars on the side of the road to
access the beginning of the trail.
The trail, originally named
Hidden Canyon Trail, was renamed
in 2009 for Lorraine Lee, a woman
who devoted much of her time and
her life to helping the Latino community in Tucson and Southern
Arizona. She died in 2007, and two
years later the Pima County Board
of Supervisors renamed the trail for
her.
Mark Flint of Southwest Trail
Solutions is the trail’s designer and
construction supervisor. He did
not know Lee personally; he only
knows what he’s read about her.
A passionate activist, Lee was
once the vice president of
Chicanos por la Causa, a nonprofit
and minority-run community
development corporation. She was
also a past affiliate chair for the
National Council of La Raza.
“The trail is really good for
people emotionally, spiritually and
physically,” said Flint.
The first few steps of the trail
pass by saguaros, ocotillos and
other prickly desert plants. Soon,
the resort fades away from view.
The roar of cars and the chatter
of people transforms into the chirping of birds and the rustling of
trees. The city disappears and the
desert’s beauty is all that remains.
Photo
by
tammy cRawFoRd
The Hidden Canyon Trail was renamed in
2009 for Lorraine Lee, a local activist for
the Latino community.
The trail is approximately 1.5
miles long, according to Flint, but
he says that the loop back to the
main road is about another half
mile along Bowen Trail.
Along the trail, small plaques
inform hikers about the native
plants and wildlife.
Tucson Mountain Park is a
20,000-acre preserve home to bobcats, roadrunners, lizards and hundred-year-old saguaro cacti.
After about 10 minutes of hiking, the rocky, narrow trail starts to
incline.
“The trail requires a little bit of
fitness and agility,” said Flint. He
recommends a walking stick for
the nearly 400 foot ascent.
The trail can be strenuous for
inexperienced hikers but “rewards
you with really good views,” said
Flint, in reference to the Tortolita
Mountains that can be seen towering in the distance.
The trail also offers sights of
the city that cannot be seen from
busy streets.
“To be named for a trail like
that is quite an honor,” he said. “It
is a very special trail.”
Just before midnight on Saturday,
South Fourth Avenue is quiet. The
snowbirds and locals who pack
the city’s most legendary Mexican restaurants have long since
left the heart of South Tucson.
The piercing shriek of an
accordion breaks the silence. From
nearly a block away the bass holds
the beat. 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4; the drums
are right on cue. A smooth guitar
and rapid violin top off the sound.
Antonio’s, 2231 S. Fourth Ave.,
is very much alive, and should
have a sign that reads “locals
only.” The last standing bar in the
city of South Tucson is also the
nation’s home to Waila music.
The music and the people pour
out of the small bar on the corner
of Fourth Avenue and 33rd Street
where Gertie and the Tohono
O’odham (T.O.) Boys are playing
at full blast. The only noises over
the music are the yelps and whistles of those standing around the
circle of dancers. It started with
two or three, but now about 15
people dance the “chicken
scratch” packed tightly together in
the tiny bar.
Gertie Lopez heads the fivemember band of Tohono O’odham. Lopez - standing just over 5
feet tall - and the T.O. Boys play
on cracked and fading tile facing
the bar. Their stage is an area
vacated by a pool table shoved to
the side and covered with a tarp.
“I’ve been playing here for 18
years now,” Lopez says of
Antonio’s. A shiny silver necklace
with a small silver accordion
hangs from her neck. “I’ve been
playing accordion and Waila
music for over 30 years.”
Lopez is related to every member of her band by blood or
through marriage. Her cousin,
Solamus “Chando” Thomas plays
a 10-string guitar for the band.
“I taught myself how to play
when I was six years old,” Thomas
says, his large, somewhat intimidating frame softened by wire
glasses and an infectious laugh.
“When I started, I played heavy
metal music but was drawn to
Waila when I got older.”
At the end of each song,
dancers depart to their respective
tables around the bar, fanning
faces with their hands, in search of
a cold drink. A bottle of Budweiser
at $2.50 a pop will do just fine.
The other band members also
take long sips of beer and the
band strikes up again. The accordion is first, playing loud and fast.
Then the bass comes in heavily,
accompanied by the crashing
drums. To the untrained ear, it
sounds like a mix of polka and
mariachi.
One person starts gliding back
and forth. But Waila is social
music, and its dance, known as
“chicken scratch,” is a social
dance. Soon, most seats are empty
and the dance floor is full, everyone moving counterclockwise
between the bar and band.
“This music dates back to the
1700s” says Lopez. “European
missionaries
taught
Native
Americans to play instruments
like violins for church.
“Native Americans in the
Southwest combining their new
talents with traditional tribal
music and Mexican influences
make Waila,” she says. “As technologies got better, violins were
replaced by guitars and accordions.” Waila gets its name from
the Mexican word “baila,” meaning dance.
Jeff Fouts, owner of Antonio’s,
says his place becomes a “native
bar” on the weekends, but encourages people from all over Tucson
to come and experience the unique
music.
“The music is great,” he says.
“We’re the only bar in Tucson,
maybe in the world, that regularly
features live Waila music.”
Gertie and the T.O Boys play
live at Antonio’s every Friday
through Sunday night.
There is no cover and the
drinks are cheap. Fouts welcomes
anyone, local or not, to put on
dancing shoes and dance the
chicken scratch.
Nuestras Raíces to Explore
Mexican Culture at Festival
By Heather Rissi
Nuestras Raíces, the Pima County
Public Library program that celebrates Mexican-American culture,
is joining the Tucson Festival of
Books this year.
Historically, the library has held
a single festival for Nuestras Raíces
(Our Roots) every year in March,
says Adriana Rendon, a librarian
and the co-chair for Nuestras
Raíces.
This year, the library joined
forces with other groups to showcase different aspects of MexicanAmerican culture, such as music,
language and arts during the UAbased Tucson Festival of Books,
March 13 and 14.
The goal for combining the
program with the Festival of
Books was to reach a larger audience, Rendon says, as well as to
make the book festival more
accessible to the MexicanAmerican community.
“The festival had great success
last year,” Rendon says. “Over
50,000 people attended. So it’s
good to share what we are working
on and make a partnership.”
Nuestras Raíces is usually a
single, spring event, but this year
there will be several events
throughout the year. The Festival
of Books, however, will provide
the cornerstone for the program,
Rendon says.
The library participated in the
festival last year, she says, and
featured a conversation with
author Luis Alberto Urrea, who’s
known for writing “The Devil’s
Highway,” and other books. More
than 400 people attended.
“There was a strong interest
for people to see and meet him,”
she says. “Some waited hours for
their chance to speak to him afterward.”
This year, festival-goers can
hear from Urrea again and ask all
their “burning questions” about
Tucson Festival of Books
When: Saturday and
Sunday, March 13 - 14
Where: University of
Arizona campus
Cost: Free
Nuestras Raíces Events
Saturday:
• 10 a.m. - Gil Sperry presents Mariachi 101
• 1 p.m. - Stella Pope Duarte
presents Mexican Folktales
• 2:30 p.m. - Tierra
Birthmarks Teatro by Curtis
Acosta’s Mexican-American
Studies Students
Sunday:
• 10 a.m. - Bilingial Children’s
Program
• 11:30 a.m. - Q & A with Luis
Alberto Urrea
• 1 p.m. - Bilingual Poetry
Slam
• 2 p.m. - HabIARTE “Talking
Through Art” Workshop
• 2:30 p.m. - Panel discussion
on Mexican-American
Culture Identity
his life in a question-and-answer
session, she says.
People can also enjoy a theatrical performance by students and
alumni from Tucson High
School’s Mexican-American Studies program.
Tierra Birthmarks Teatro will
feature a dozen or so monologues
written and performed by students, says Curtis Acosta, the
Tucson High teacher who heads
the group.
Students developed the performance from researching and
interviewing people in the com-
munity, he says. They will perform
monologues about a deaf educator,
a Mexican immigrant and a
Muslim woman, among others. A
few monologues will be in
Spanish but most are in English.
The program matters because
it’s done “authentically,” Acosta
says, and because the students and
the community worked hard to
bring the characters to life in the
monologues.
Another festival event is a
youth Mariachi contest. “Last
year it was structured like
American Idol,” Rendon says. “It
was very exciting for families and
the community to watch the
young talent.”
There will also be an authors’
panel to discuss MexicanAmerican cultural identity with
Gustavo Arellano, who writes the
controversial and syndicated column “Ask a Mexican,” and Rose
Castillo Guilbault, who wrote the
autobiographical “Farmworker’s
Daughter: Growing Up Mexican in
America.”
Rendon says the main goal of
Nuestras Raíces events at the book
festival is not only to reach the
Mexican-American community,
but to also build community by
celebrating the culture’s rich artistic history with all Tucsonans.
Guilbault says she hopes to see
young people at the festival who
want to learn more about their culture, as well as writers who want
to learn more about their craft.
She also pointed out that people often have the same “basic
fundamentality” regardless of
nationality or ethnicity, making it
easier to relate to others.
“There’s universality in all our
stories,” Guilbault says.
“Universality helps society,”
she says.
“It helps the world, because we
can see everyone and their similarities and say, ‘Hey, we’re not so
different.”
El INDEPENDIENTE
Page / Página 6
March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Muralist David Tineo’s Work
Now on Display in Tucson
Photo
by
Kaite Flynn
Kory DeBerry pins Joe Soqui on the mat during wrestling practice at Sunnyside.
Sunnyside Wins 28th
State Wrestling Title
‘Wrestling’ Continued from page 1
On Jan. 27, Sunnyside was set
to face Canyon del Oro High
That source of motivation has School in a one-on-one dual, but
yielded record-setting results for with Sanchez’s approval, DeBerry
the Blue Devils.
set the table for an epic regular seaAnd if there’s one number that son showdown between multiple
truly speaks volumes about wrestling-dominant schools.
Sunny-side supremacy, it’s 28,
“The critics thought it was crazy
which is the total number of state for Sunnyside, with such a young
titles won by the program. It’s an team, to go head-to-head against
Arizona record by a landslide; some of those teams,” Sanchez
Winslow High School is second said.
with 11.
Since both squads went on to
To put that number even further win state titles in their respective
into perspective, consider this: the classes, Sunnyside verse Safford
New York Yankees, the most suc- was the unquestioned main event.
cessful professional sports franThe Blue Devils won handily
chise in America history, have 27 40-24, but the match mimicked that
titles.
of a state competition, which
Sunnyside also holds the second DeBerry knew would come in
and the fourth longest streaks for handy further down the road.
consecutive titles. The Blue Devils
The dual against Safford “was a
ripped off eight in a row in the dress rehearsal for state,” he said.
1980s
behind
coach
Don
One wrestler who helped lead
Klostreich and Richard Sanchez Sunnyside through a roller-coaster
helped the team to five straight season of doubt and back to the
from 1990 to 1994.
winner’s circle was DeBerry’s son,
DeBerry took over in 1996 and Kory.
has taken the program into a new
DeBerry, a junior, has become a
stratosphere of success.
nationally renowned wrestler in
DeBerry holds
Arizona and has
an Arizona coachwon individual
ing record of 14
state titles in all
We just have to keep
titles—including
three years of
a title in every
varsity competifighting. The end
year of the last
tion.
result is the only thing
decade—and his
But this year’s
program continteam title was one
that matters.
ues to be the
that
Kory
–Kory DeBerry
model for sucDeBerry will reSunnyside Wrestler
cess.
member forever.
Challengers
“It’s one of the
from across the
greatest feelings
state line up for their shot to go toe- in the world,” he said. “A lot of
to-toe with the Blue Devils.
people said that we were done; that
But those challenges are wel- we didn’t have the horses to win
comed with open arms.
state like we did in past years. It
“If there’s one thing about our just feels good to show everyone,
kids and our program, we’re not even though we were a young
going to duck competition,” team, that we’re going to do whatSanchez said. “If there’s some- ever it takes to come home with
body out there and we can dual [a that trophy.”
term denoting a match between
DeBerry is the No. 6 ranked juntwo teams] them and they can ior wrestler in the 145-pound
improve our program—even a loss weight class (No. 23 overall),
can help us improve—we’re going according to Wrestling USA
to take it.”
Magazine.
Sanchez, who led Sunnyside to
Next year will be DeBerry’s
five wrestling titles in the early final year of high school wrestling
1990s, is now the athletic director and there is little doubt that he will
and head football coach. He main- be the top pound-for-pound
tains a close relationship with the wrestler in the state.
program and DeBerry.
“We just have to keep fightThis year’s challenger was Saff- ing,” he said. “The end result is
ord High School, a rising star at the the only thing that matters. It
Class 3A level, having won six doesn’t matter what happens in the
consecutive state titles from 2005 beginning of the season, or the
to 2010.
middle. As long as we’re wrestling
Sanchez said DeBerry contacted our best when it matters most,
him early in the season to talk we’re confident that we will bring
about how Safford kept saying they it home.”
could knock off the champs
That mentality is what has made
because it was an off year for the the Sunnyside wrestling program
Blue Devils.
into the powerhouse that it is today.
Sunnyside’s response to critics
If it continues, the state trophy
like that is always the same: bring may have found a permanent home
it on.
on Tucson’s south side.
“
”
By Marissa Hopkins
If you go
Tucson artist and muralist David
Tineo’s retrospective collection of
work is now on display at the
Tucson Museum of Art.
The collection, entitled “¡Viva
David Tineo! A Retrospective of
Tucson’s Muralist and Art Educator” has been in the works for
two and a half years according to
Fatima Bercht, the museum’s curator of Latin American art.
Where: Tucson Museum of
Art, 140 N. Main Ave.
When: Tuesday - Saturday:
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday:
noon - 5 p.m.
Cost: $8 or free for 12 and
under and members. Free
for everyone first Sunday of
each month.
“I was drawn to his work as a
muralist, painter and educator,”
Bercht said. “I was particularly
drawn to the fact that he was instrumental in teaching youths.”
Museum Spokeswoman Meredith Hayes said it was challenging
to gather his work, as he often
gives pieces to family and friends.
Bercht said Tineo did not keep
records of his early work, which
was the hardest to locate.
Tineo is known for the mural,
“Raíces,” on the north-facing wall of
the museum that was done in 1992.
It was meant to be a part of a threemonth exhibition, but has been up
ever since, Hayes said. She said the
mural will need restoration soon, as
it was not meant to be up for so long.
“People know about his murals,
but they don’t know about his other
Photo
couRtesy oF
tucson mueseum
oF
aRt
Woman with crown of flowers by David Tineo.
work,” Bercht said.
Hayes says the retrospective
includes about 50 pieces including
paintings, sketches and even a pair
of painted chairs spanning the
1970s to present.
SUSD Middle Schools Fight Obesity
‘Obesity’ Continued from page 1
scientist in the nutritional sciences
department at UA’s College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences who
wrote the grant.
Students use the equipment
during lunchtime and before and
after school, Espinosa says.
“I like being in the step aerobics club because I get to be with
my friends and work out and have
fun at the same time,” says
Jackelyn Torres, a Sierra student.
In addition to enjoying new
activities, the students increase
their physical activity, according
to the UA’s study of the program.
Students in SUSD middle
schools increased their moderate to
vigorous physical activity rate by
as much as 75 percent in the first
year of the program, Reeves says.
“In healthcare terms, even a 10
percent increase is significant,”
she says. “So we definitely
reached our goals, well above our
goals.”
The aim of the program is to
increase physical activity and thereby possibly decrease the levels of
childhood obesity, Reeves says.
From 2003 to 2006, U.S. children aged 12 to 19 had a 17.6 percent obesity rate, according the
National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. The rates were higher
in Hispanic and black children.
Sierra Middle School is 91 percent Hispanic, similar to other
SUSD middle schools.
The program also stresses good
nutritional habits, says Kristel
Milligan, the physical education
Photo
by
otto Ross
Danyra Yepiz dances to folklorico music in
an after-school program.
teacher at Sierra.
Sierra offers gardening and
cooking clubs for students along
with the fitness programs,
Milligan says. Additionally, they
encourage students to teach their
peers about healthy eating and
physical activity, Reeves says.
Rubbi Baez, a Sierra student,
says the habits she’s learning will
help her for the rest of her life.
“I don’t want to be fat when I
grow up,” says Baez, a member of
the step aerobics group.
Although the Tucson Unified
School District doesn’t have a program like SUSD’s, it tries to educate students about healthy eating
habits and nutrition.
Each school is expected to
teach health and physical education, says Margaret Shafer, assistant superintendent of elementary
schools.
TUSD offers healthy, calorieconscious meals in schools and
gives schools the opportunity to
have physical education and nutrition educators present healthy
lifestyle choices to the students,
says Lindsay Aguilar with TUSD
food services department.
At Wakefield Middle School,
junk food, sodas and even sport
drinks such as Gatorade have been
removed from the vending
machines, says Wade McRae,
principal of Wakefield, 101 W.
44th St.
Wakefield students exercise
during after-school programs like
basketball, flag football and
dance, made possible by a federal
grant that expires in 2010, says
McRae.
Espinosa says he thinks nutrition and physical activity programs like the one at Sierra are
important for kids.
He points out that before and
after school, students are often left
at home. “Parents go to work and
they’re sitting there doing nothing,
probably sitting and watching
video games,” Espinosa says.
Whereas in the morning and after
school, students “can come get
some kind of physical activity, get
their heart rates running.”
Back at Sierra Middle School,
students in the folklorico dance
program are getting their hearts
pumping. Three boys and eight
girls spin and quickstep to traditional Hispanic music.
The young girls whirl their
long, brightly-colored skirts
around with delight. The students,
some with faces flushed from
exercise, smile as they dance to
the fast-paced music.
South Tucson Residents Say Walgreens
Liquor License Will Ruin Community
‘Walgreens’ Continued from page 1
munity, which struggles with drug and alcohol
abuse.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Serna said of the
Walgreens’ decision to ignore the climate of the community by applying for the license.
In his packet, Serna noted the arrests made at
Walgreens cost the city $20,000 yearly for jail and processing fees.
The number of calls, and therefore the city’s
costs, would increase if the license were approved,
he said.
The license is one of about 160 Walgreens has
recently applied for in Arizona. It is an effort to
remain competitive in a weak economy, Schelstraete
said.
If approved, the store plans to avoid what
Schelstraete calls “high octane drinks”— meaning
drinks that are low in price and high in alcohol content.
Their priority is to provide a service the current customers want and not to attract new business. The relatively small amount of alcohol they want to sell wouldn’t impact the community, he said.
“What is good for the community is good for
Walgreens,” Schelstraete said.
Eckstrom is not convinced. The decision by
Walgreens’ corporate head to add yet another alcohol
outlet in South Tucson is out of touch with the community, she said.
“How would somebody in Illinois know what the
best interests of the community are?” she asked speaking of Walgreens’ corporate headquarters.
El INDEPENDIENTE
March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
Page / Página 7
Mi Casa es Tu Casa at Guillermo’s
By Ashley Ralston-Alvarez
In today’s economy, businesses
and restaurants are struggling to
stay open.
But that doesn’t mean service
and atmosphere have to suffer.
Guillermo’s Double L Restaurant believes this and stays in
business through hard times
because of loyal customers and
the family atmosphere.
The greeting above the door at
Guillermo’s reads: “Bienvenidos
Amigos: Mi casa es tu casa.”
Linda Baker, manager of
Guillermo’s, says she loves her
job and the atmosphere the restaurant brings to the community. It is
just like a family, she says.
“So many people grew up in
this neighborhood. This is our
community,” Baker says. She
believes that’s what keeps people
coming back.
Baker says that Guillermo’s
has been around for so long that
people start to come to the restaurant at a very young age with their
family.
Children grow up in this neighborhood and bring their own families back to the restaurant and the
memories of their childhood, she
says.
A 60-year legacy is what
Guillermo’s offers to the community. It’s something to be passed
down from one generation to the
next. That is what makes
Guillermo’s unique.
“You see generations of people
that now bring their grandchildren
in. It’s kind of a neat thing,”
Baker says.
As a young Tucsonan growing
up in South Tucson I remember
going to Guillermo’s every week.
I ordered the same side of beans
and tortillas to make my own burritos.
The food was always delicious
and the servers were friendly.
If You Go:
• Address: 1830 S. Fourth
Ave.
• Phone number: 792-1585
• Hours: Monday - Saturday
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Atmosphere: Casual dining
with an inexpensive menu
• Food: South-of-the-border
specialties, American
favorites, seafood, and
hand-mixed margaritas
I remember one server taught
me the “caterpillar trick” with my
straw wrapper. She showed me
that if water is sprinkled on a
tightly scrunched up wrapper, it
does a little dance, just like a real
caterpillar.
That small act of kindness has
stayed with me for more than 10
years and makes me think fondly
of the people and atmosphere at
Guillermo’s.
“I probably waited on you
when you were younger,” says
Baker, who has worked there for
more than 40 years.
Guillermo’s has been a familyowned business for three generations since it opened in 1948.
The restaurant started as a simple drive-in barbecue. But, with
the Mexican influences in South
Tucson, it quickly changed its
specialty to Mexican food after
only four years.
The small building soon developed into a restaurant seating 40
people.
The territorial-style building
has grown from one room to three
large dining rooms. It now accommodates 180 people.
The exterior, painted in bright
yellows and greens, welcomes
anyone who passes. It alludes to
the casual Mexican interior decorated with southwest scenes paint-
By Nohemi Ramirez
Photo by ashley Ralston-alvaRez
Roberto Villasenor prepares food in the kitchen at Guillermo's Double L Restaurant.
ed by Diana Madaras.
Guillermo’s was sold to another family in 2008 and is now
owned by Tony Gonzalez.
He has made some changes
over the past few years. Some of
the interior has been refreshed and
more plants have been added, but
one of the newest additions was a
menu change in 2009. Gonzalez
decided to add seafood to
Guillermo’s already extensive
menu.
“Tucson loves seafood,” Baker
says.
Guillermo’s wanted more to
offer and seafood was the way to
go. It has helped bring in more
business and was a hit for most
customers.
It adds variety to the Mexican
specialties and American favorites
that the customers have come to
expect.
Many long-time employees
weren’t quite sure if they would
keep their jobs or if the restaurant
environment would change when
Gonzalez took over. The servers,
however, said it was a smooth
transition.
“He is a great guy,” says Toni
Coronel, a server at Guillermo’s
for 13 years.
“Nothing’s changed much. It’s
like the same.”
Guillermo’s continues to be a
family tradition that influences
generations of Tucsonans.
It’s one of those experiences
that doesn’t cost a lot but leaves
you with a lifetime of memories
and reminds us a family of friends
can be found anywhere.
Tucson Teacher Takes Math to New Level
By Shelby Hill
Shaking President Obama’s hand
isn’t the only exciting thing that has
happened to Dana Islas in the past
few months. She received the 2008
Presidential Award for Excellence in
Math and Science Teaching, had a
baby girl and moved to a new house.
“It’s been like a whirlwind,”
Islas says. “I mean, [they’re] all
wonderful things. I feel very fortunate.”
Islas, who has been a kindergarten teacher at Pueblo Gardens
Elementary School for seven
years, received the award, which is
administered by the National
Science Foundation on behalf of
the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy, in early
January in Washington, D.C., for
math teaching.
She remembers the day she
opened her e-mail and found out
she won.
“I had to keep reading it over
and over,” Islas says. “It was very
exciting. I cried.”
While receiving the award at
the White House along with 84
other awardees, Islas met President
Barack Obama, who she says is
“very personable. He seems like a
genuinely nice, kind man, truly
interested in improving education.”
She emphasizes math because,
“there are connections to math in
every aspect of our lives and I try
to help the kids see that,” Islas
says. “Math is really the gatekeeper for their future success.”
Marco Ramirez, principal at
Pueblo Gardens, says what he
“
Excellence is not a
single moment in
time, but it’s a daily
experience.
–Marco Ramirez
Principal
Photo
by
Kaite Flynn
Dana Islas helps students Isabella Ortiz and Paul Chacon fill out a worksheet on bullying.
thinks makes Islas stand out is that
she creates an atmosphere in her
classroom that is exceptional
throughout the school year.
“From my perspective, excellence is not a single moment in
time, but it’s a daily experience,”
Ramirez says. “We get excited
about a single event, when what
Dana does is provide an event that
lasts 180 days.”
Islas says she gets the students
involved as much as possible. She
plays a game called “One More,
One Fewer” with her students. The
kindergarteners add and subtract
themselves from 10 taped squares
on the floor based on a number on
a card that Islas shows them.
“It’s a chance for all of us to
have a conversation. If there’s a
mistake, that’s a learning opportu-
Notre Dame
and Tucson
Disocese to
Help Schools
nity,” she says.
Islas says parents expect their
children to learn to read, but they
don’t always expect their children to
understand math, which is just as
important for their futures.
“When you’re trying to decide
what you want to be when you
grow up, if math is a scary or difficult subject area for you, it’s going
to really limit what you can pursue,” she says. “So I don’t want
my kids to be limited.”
Islas knew she wanted to be a
teacher since high school, and even
as a child she played school with
her younger sister. Around the age
of eight, she made her one-yearold brother flashcards so he could
learn new words.
She has been teaching for 14
years, 12 of which were in kinder-
”
garten, where she plans to continue
teaching.
“I’ve been asked to go up to higher grade levels, but I’m really happy
with the early childhood,” Islas says.
“There’s so much discovery and
curiosity and they love school. ... It’s
just a really exciting time.”
Islas not only excels at having
great content knowledge and
instructional ability, which are
important at Pueblo Gardens, but in
other ways as well, Ramirez says.
“You can’t do content and
instruction without having kindness and heart for children,” he
says. “She’s a complete package.”
Islas is writing a book of math
lessons, games, ideas and tips for
teachers. She was e-mailing her
editor pages to the book when she
began having contractions and
went into labor with her now sixweek-old daughter, Julianna.
The book writing was on hold
as Islas cherishes her time with her
three daughters, including 19-yearold Kirsten and 17-month-old,
Isabella and unpacking the moving
boxes currently in her new home.
In one of the boxes is her award
certificate signed by President
Obama.
The University of Notre Dame and
the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Tucson have created a partnership
in an effort to increase the quality
of education and enroll more
Hispanic students in Catholic
schools.
Santa Cruz Catholic School
Principal Sister Leonette Kochan,
explained that Notre Dame did a
study that focused on the enrollment of Hispanics in Catholic
schools and on schools that serve
Hispanics in economically challenged communities.
“They found out they are under
served,” Sister Kochan said.
“Meaning that only three percent
of the Hispanic population is
attending Catholic schools.”
The three Catholic parish
schools that are part of the program are St. Ambrose, St. John
the Evangelist and Santa Cruz.
Before the partnership, they were
already members of the Alliance
for Catholic Education (ACE)
program that provides certified
teachers to the schools.
The schools will be receiving
support from the university in
three areas of focus.
The first involves enhancing
professional development, meaning the university will provide
teacher mentoring and coaching to
help them expand their knowledge
in teaching.
The second is to strengthen the
focus of the schools’ teachings of
culture and Catholic identity.
The third is in marketing and
development.
The university will provide a
marketing specialist to help
improve the schools’ budgets by
trying to increase donations,
including tax-deductable ones.
Sister Kochan said many parents do not enroll their children in
Catholic schools because of the
cost.
People are often unaware that
they can apply for financial aid,
use tax credit and even donations.
Tuition is at about $4,000 per
school year at Santa Cruz.
Sonia de la Ossa, who has one
child enrolled at the school, said
she pays $150 per month but has
applied for financial aid.
De la Ossa is also paying the
school by volunteering her time
there.
De la Ossa, who said she has
always worked with ACE teachers, said that she was very excited
about the new partnership.
“It’s just going to better our
school and our kids,” she said.
“[The teachers] are very dedicated.”
Notre Dame chose Tucson
because Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
spoke with the university and
asked if they could be considered
for the partnership.
Tucson schools are the first to
join in this program and Notre
Dame hopes to partner with many
more in the future.
Although the schools do not
receive direct money from the university, all teacher training and
other university-provided services
are funded by Notre Dame through
a grant from the Walton Family
Foundation.
“We are very grateful to Notre
Dame for choosing our schools,”
Sister Kochan said.
“It’s sending a message that
we are all in this together, educating.”
?
Page / Página 8
By Erica Nannini
Traducido por Lizette M. Pérez
El INDEPENDIENTE
March 11 / 11 de marzo 2010
qué PASA?
Tucsonans
Observe Lent
February 27 – July 3
Andy Warhol Art
Portraits of Muhammad Ali,
Marilyn Monroe and other silkscreen prints that arguably sparked
the birth of pop culture will be on
display at the Tucson Museum of
Art, 140 N. Main Ave., as part of
the touring exhibition Andy
Warhol Portfolios: Life and
Legends. The museum is open
Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4
p.m. Admission is $8. Visit
www.tucsonmuseumofart.org or
call 624-2333 for more information.
Left: Melissa Garcia and her children
sit outside of Santa Cruz Church after
Ash Wednesday mass.
Below (left): Joe Ballesteros sits down
after mass.
Below (right): Vince Sierra talks about
what Lent means to him and what he
will be giving up.
Go online to read more about how
Tucsonans are observing Lent.
Del 19 al 21 de marzo
Feria de primavera
Dos veces por año, la Fourth
Avenue está llena de diversión
durante todo un fin de semana con
una feria para personas de todas
las edades que incluye maquillaje
facial, malabares en las calles, y
más de 400 puestos con manualidades y artesanías. La calle estará
bloqueada desde Ninth Street
hasta University Boulevard. La
feria se llevará a cabo los 3 días
arriba mencionados de 10 a.m. a 6
p.m. y la entrada es gratuita. Para
cualquier pregunta visite el sitio
www.fourthavenue.org o llame a
Fourth Avenue Merchants
Association al 634-5004.
March 13 - Sept. 18
27 de marzo
Salvador Corona
Exhibit
Taller de cerámica
March 14
St. Patty’s Day Parade
Although St. Patrick’s Day is on
March 17, John Flanagan of
Flanagan’s Celtic Corner will hold
his annual parade and festival the
weekend prior. Pile on the green
attire and face paint three days
early and enjoy the festivities at
Armory Park, 220 S. Fifth Ave.
The festival is from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. and the parade will begin at
11 a.m. Admission is free. Call
623-9922 for more information.
March 14
Ladysmith Black
Mambazo
This Grammy Award-winning
group merges traditional South
African song and dance with
gospel sounds, and became one of
South Africa’s most prominent
recording artists after collaborating with Paul Simon on the album
Graceland. The group will perform at 7 p.m. at the University of
Arizona’s Centennial Hall, 1020
E. University Blvd. Tickets range
from $15 to $52 and can be purchased in advance at www.uapresents.org or by calling 621-3341.
March 19 – 21
Spring Street Fair
Twice a year, Fourth Avenue
erupts in a weekend fit of face
painting, street juggling and arts
and crafts from over 400 vendors.
The street is blocked off between
Ninth Street and University
Boulevard for all-ages fun. The
fair is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
all three days and admission is
free. Visit www.fourthavenue.org
Kaite Flynn
by
Photos
The Arizona State Museum invites
Tucsonans to view the artwork of
Mexican-born Salvador Corona,
the beloved bullfighter-turnedmuralist. The exhibit will feature
nearly 50 of the Tucson celebrity’s
paintings, chests and bowls, placing them in the greater context of
mid-20th century Tucson life. The
museum, 1013 E. University
Blvd., is open Monday through
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $5 for adults; children get in free. Visit www.statemuseum.arizona.edu or call 6216302 with questions.
Para aquellos que buscan un
nuevo hobby, Tucson Museum of
Art, ofrecerá una recepción en un
taller de cerámica. Los asistentes
podrán aprender a utilizar un torno
de alfarero y a hacer alfarería en
forma de espiral. La clase es para
personas mayores de 10 años y
tendrá un costo de $10 dólares. El
horario es de 4 a 6 de la tarde, en
la casa Romero (Romero House)
ubicada en 140 N. Maine Ave., en
la esquina noreste de la cuadra
histórica del museo. Para más
información llame al 624-2333.
or contact the Fourth Avenue
Merchants Association at 6345004 with questions.
March 27
Ceramics Studio
For those in search of a new
hands-on hobby, the Tucson
Museum of Art presents a
Ceramics Studio Open House
where attendees will learn how to
use a potter’s wheel and make a
coil pot. The class, held from 4 to
6 p.m., is open to anyone 10 years
and up for a $10 fee. It will be
held in the Romero House at the
northeast corner of the museum’s
Historic Block, 140 N. Main Ave.
Call 624-2333 for more information.
March 27, 28
Indian Art Fair
Meet native artists and shop for
jewelry, pottery, Hopi kachina
dolls and more at the Arizona State
Museum’s Southwest Indian Art
Fair Benefit. The event will be
hosted by Desert Diamond Casino
at I-19 and Pima Mine Road.
General admission is $6 at the door
and the fair will run 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. on Saturday, March 27 and 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March
28. Visit www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/events/swiaf/ or call 6216302 for more information.
April 9
The Horse Boy
A free screening of Michel Orion
Scott’s film, The Horse Boy, is
part of a monthly screening series
of films at Tucson libraries, funded through a partnership with
Arizona Public Media and
Community Cinema. The independent PBS film follows a Texas
couple on a spiritual journey
across the world to better understand their son’s autism diagnosis.
It will show at 9 a.m. at Quincie
Douglas branch library, 1585 E.
36th Street, and will be followed
by a moderated discussion. Call
594-5335 for more information.
la vida en Tucsón a mediados de
siglo XX. El museo está ubicado
en 1013 E. University Blvd., y
está abierto de lunes a sábado, de
10 a.m. a 5 p.m. El costo de entrada es $5. para adultos y los niños
entran gratis. Si tiene preguntas
visite el www.statemuseum.arizona.edu o llame al 621-6302.
14 de marzo
Del 27 de febrero al 3 de
julio
El arte de Andy Warhol
Como parte de la gira de la exhibición: Andy Warhol Portfolios:
Life, el Museo de arte de Tucson,
ubicado en 140 N. Main Ave., tendrá en exhibición algunos de los
retratos de serigrafía sobre lienzo
que supuestamente causó el
nacimiento de la cultura pop. Los
retratos incluyen el de Muhammad
Ali, Marilyn Monroe entre otros.
El museo está abierto de martes a
sábado de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. y
domingo, de mediodía a 4 p.m. El
costo de entrada es de $8. Para
más información visite la página
www.tucsonmuseumofart.org o
llame al 624-2333.
Del 13 de marzo al 18 de
septiembre
La exhibición de
Salvador Corona
El Museo estatal de Arizona, invita a todos los ciudadanos a ver la
exhibición de arte del famoso
matador que se convirtió en
muralista, el mexicano Salvador
Corona. La exposición contará
con cerca de 50 piezas de arte del
artista local, incluyendo pinturas,
baúles y alfarería. Estas piezas se
encuentran dentro del contexto de
Desfile del día de San
Patricio
Aunque habitualmente el desfile
del día de San Patricio es el 17 de
marzo, John Flanagan de
Flanagan’s Celtic Corner, llevará a
cabo el desfile y el festival anual
el fin de semana previo. Vístase y
píntese la cara de verde para celebrar tres días antes en el parque
Armory, ubicado en el 220 S. Fifth
Ave. El festival será de 10 a.m. a 5
p.m. y el desfile empezará a las 11
a.m. La entrada es gratuita. Para
más información llame al 6239922.
14 de marzo
“Ladysmith Black
Mambazo”
Este grupo, ganador del premio
Grammy que mezcla la música y
baile tradicional del sur de África
con los sonidos del evangelio, se
convirtió en uno de los grupos
más importantes de Sudáfrica
después de colaborar con Paul
Simon en el álbum Graceland.
Dicho grupo dará un concierto a
las 7 p.m. en el Centennial Hall de
la Universidad de Arizona ubicado
en, 1020 E. University Blvd. Los
boletos van de los $15 a los $52 y
pueden comprarse por adelantado
en www.uapresents.org o llamando
al 621-3341.
27, 28 de marzo Feria de arte indígena
Venga a conocer a artistas indígenas y a comprar joyería, alfarería,
muñecas Hopi kachina y mucho
más en la feria a beneficio del arte
indígena del suroeste, presentado
por el Museo estatal de Arizona. El
evento se llevará a cabo en el
Desert Diamond Casino, ubicado
en la carretera I-19 y Pima Mine
Road. El precio de entrada en
taquilla es de $6 y el horario es de
10 a.m. a 5 p.m. el sábado, 27 de
Marzo y de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. el
domingo, 28 de marzo. Para más
información visite el sitio
www.statemuseum.arizona.
edu/events/swiaf/ o llame al 6216302.
9 de abril
The Horse Boy
Las librerías de Tucsón, con el
financiamiento de la alianza de
Arizona Public Media y
Community Cinema, presentarán
como parte de su serie de proyecciones de filmes del mes una
proyección gratuita de la película
de Michel Orion Scott, The Horse
Boy (El niño de los caballos). El
filme independiente de la PBS
(por sus siglas en inglés) sigue a
una pareja de Texas en un viaje
espiritual a través del mundo, en el
cual buscan comprender de una
mejor manera el diagnóstico de
autismo de su hijo. La proyección
es a las 9 a.m. en la sucursal de la
biblioteca Quincie Douglas, ubicada en 1585 E. 36th Street, y al
final habrá un debate moderado.
Para más información llame al
594-5335.