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[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-30T04:49:43 | null | 2016-08-29T23:15:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F9086%2Fblack-knights-win-riverside-quad.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-PP-Dangerfield.jpg | en | null | Black Knights win Riverside quad | null | null | mydailytribune.com | MASON, W.Va. — They aren’t unwanted guests when they are invited by the host.
Point Pleasant ended up spoiling a regularly scheduled Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division golf match Monday night with a 28-stroke victory in a quad match held at Riverside Golf Course in Mason County.
The Black Knights were invited by host Wahama to play along in a league tri-match against both Eastern and South Gallia, but PPHS dominated the event after posting the top five scores en route to winning tally of 163.
Eastern ended up second in the quad match with a 191, while Wahama posted a 225 for third place and SGHS did not have a team score with only two participants. In TVC Hocking play, Eastern finished the night 1-0, the White Falcons were .500 at 1-1 and SGHS ended the evening with an 0-1 mark.
Point Pleasant senior Doug Workman won medalist honors with an even par round of 35, while teammate Colby Martin was the runner-up with a 40. Matt Martin and Bryce Tayengco rounded out the winning quad tally with respective efforts of 43 and 45.
Dylan Tayengco shot a 45 for the Black Knights also Haley Pierson also carded a 53 for the victors.
In the actual TVC Hocking match, John Little came away with medalist honors with a 10-over par round of 45. Teammate Kaleb Honaker and South Gallia’s Curtis Haner shared runner-up honors with identical efforts of 46.
Ryan Harbour and John Harris completed the Eagles’ winning total with respective rounds of 47 and 53. Nick Durst and Garrett Chalfant also fired efforts of 56 and 65.
Anthony Ortiz led Wahama with a 51, followed by Walker Stanhope with a 55 and Gage Smith with a 59. Jace Heckaman rounded out the WHS tally with a 60, while Kaleigh Stewart and Caitlyn Harrison added respective rounds of 67 and 70.
Besides the effort by Haner, SGHS also received a 66 from Bryce Nolan.
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101.
Wahama junior Anthony Ortiz, left, watches a putt attempt on the second hole during Monday night’s TVC Hocking golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-WAH-Ortiz.jpg Wahama junior Anthony Ortiz, left, watches a putt attempt on the second hole during Monday night’s TVC Hocking golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. Bryan Walters/OVP Sports Point Pleasant senior Dalton Dangerfield watches a putt attempt on the second hole go in during Monday night’s quad golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-PP-Dangerfield.jpg Point Pleasant senior Dalton Dangerfield watches a putt attempt on the second hole go in during Monday night’s quad golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. Bryan Walters/OVP Sports | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9086/black-knights-win-riverside-quad | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/c6cc950feb7c61ff6b9f6629b7599687e908dd00dd0625b5614b6679c6fda3dd.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:25 | null | 2016-08-26T12:35:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fnews%2F8994%2Fbreaking-32-ft-jobs-eliminated-at-gallipolis-developmental-center.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_DSCN6165.jpg | en | null | BREAKING: 32 FT jobs eliminated at Gallipolis Developmental Center | null | null | mydailytribune.com | GALLIPOLIS — Officials with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities said Friday they are eliminating 32 full-time positions from the Gallipolis Developmental Center.
The positions, officials said, are part of a plan to streamline the workforce with the number of clients the Gallipolis facility services. At the present, officials said the workforce in Gallipolis doesn’t match with the number of people who live at the facility. Although 32 full-time positions will be eliminated by the first week of December, the state plans to turn 18 of those positions into part-time opportunities.
The Gallipolis Daily Tribune has interviewed state officials and will have more on this story later today. Stay tuned to www.mydailytribune.com for more.
http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_DSCN6165.jpg | http://mydailytribune.com/news/8994/breaking-32-ft-jobs-eliminated-at-gallipolis-developmental-center | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/df47d14940fe1d64f01f099580b390f1b0589b65c816d2916d4fcb74fc3e3c41.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-29T20:49:34 | null | 2016-08-29T14:55:05 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F9060%2Flady-eagles-2nd-at-marietta.json | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9060/lady-eagles-2nd-at-marietta | en | null | Lady Eagles 2nd at Marietta | null | null | mydailytribune.com | MARIETTA, Ohio — The Eastern girls cross country team placed second out of 11 teams in its season opener Saturday during the 2016 Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational held at the Broughton Nature Area in Washington County.
The Lady Eagles had four of the top 20 individual efforts in the 118-competitor girls event, which allowed the Green and White to finish the day with a team tally of 59 points.
Lancaster won the girls title with 44 points, while Woodrow Wilson (82), Caldwell (97) and Warren (123) rounded out the three through five spots.
Jessica Cook paced Eastern with a third place effort of 21:12.0, followed by Ally Durst in fifth with a 22:30.1. Taylor Parker also finished in the top-10 with an eighth place time of 22:46.9.
Laura Pullins was 18th overall with a mark of 23:22.4 and Kaitlyn Hawk rounded out the team tally by finishing 35th with a time of 24:49.8.
Rhiannon Morris was 37th with a time of 24:55.6 and Lexa Hayes was 56th with a mark of 27:11.0.
Mary Kate McElroy of Fort Frye won the girls race with a time of 20:36.0. Elise Johnson of Lancaster was the overall runner-up with a mark of 20:54.0.
On the boys side of the event, Eastern had only three runners compete and did not have enough participants to net a team score. Woodrow Wilson won the 14-team boys title with a tally of 54 points, while Marietta (86) and Caldwell (102) rounded out the top three spots.
Colton Reynolds paced the Eagles with a 28th place effort of 19:30.7, followed by Matt Clingenpeel in 58th place with a time of 21:26.9. Eion Marcinko was also 87th out of 156 runners with a time of 23:07.8.
Chris Barbera of Woodrow Wilson won the boys race with a time of 16:52.0. Justin Anderson of Fort Frye was the overall runner-up with a mark of 17:14.2.
Complete results of the 2016 Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial CC Invitational are available on the web at baumspage.com
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101. | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9060/lady-eagles-2nd-at-marietta | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/59cb988a59ec9983e9cf08b44f117ccb680ac4b57c632868ef8eb9462c2bb0ea.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-26T18:47:29 | null | 2016-08-26T14:26:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F9017%2Flady-raiders-win-over-belpre.json | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9017/lady-raiders-win-over-belpre | en | null | Lady Raiders win over Belpre | null | null | mydailytribune.com | BIDWELL, Ohio — This time, the Lady Raiders were on the right end of a four-set affair against a TVC-Hocking squad.
That’s because the River Valley High School volleyball team captured a four-set victory on Thursday night, defeating visiting Belpre by counts of 25-13, 25-18, 16-25 and 25-22.
The win was the Raiders’ first of the season, as River Valley had lost two road tilts at two Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division clubs — at Eastern on Monday and Federal Hocking on Wednesday.
Both of those contests were also decided in four sets, as River Valley is a member of the TVC-Ohio.
Against Belpre, the Lady Raiders racked up 28 kills and 28 assists, with a serving percentage of 90-percent.
They also served up 11 aces, along with collecting 26 digs and five-and-a-half blocks.
Carly Gilmore garnered good all-around efforts with 11 kills, three blocks, eight digs and a pair of aces.
Jaden Neal notched seven kills for River Valley, while Rachael Horner and Emily Adkins added three apiece.
The team’s two setters — Angel Toler (13) and Isabella Mershon (11) — combined for all but four of the club’s assists.
Toler tallied five of the 11 aces as well, while Mershon — like Gilmore — mustered two.
Toler trailed Gilmore in digs by two (six).
The Lady Raiders return to the road, and return to non-league action, against another TVC-Hocking team in Southern on Monday.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106 | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9017/lady-raiders-win-over-belpre | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/7d4ccb2f21af045690e1611d5f4ecaf1141ad1595778019327029656a4515287.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:41:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F8989%2Frio-women-pull-off-stunning-tie.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-URG-Haddad.jpg | en | null | Rio women pull off stunning tie | null | null | mydailytribune.com | RIO GRANDE, Ohio — Short of recording an upset win, first-year Rio Grande women’s soccer head coach Tony Daniels couldn’t have scripted a better debut.
Sophomore Rachel Haddad scored on a direct kick with 4:53 left to play in regulation — and the RedStorm battled visiting Davenport University to a season-opening 1-1 draw on Thursday night at a sauna-like Evan E. Davis Field.
Haddad — a midfielder from Gallipolis — accounted for Rio’s only shot on goal in the contest, netting the second goal of her collegiate career.
Rio Grande, which had been outscored 24-2 in four losses to the Panthers over the course of the past five seasons — including a 7-0 loss last year – was outshot 29-4 (11-1 in shots on goal).
“I’m proud of the girls. They never quit,” said Daniels, who took over the Rio women’s program after serving as an assistant coach with the men’s team for the past 25 seasons. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but they showed a lot of heart tonight. This is the kind of game that, hopefully, we can continue to build on.”
Davenport (1-0-1) snapped a scoreless tie just 25 seconds into the second stanza when Rio freshman goalkeeper Andrea Vera was whistled for a foul and Shameeka Fishley pushed a subsequent penalty kick past Vera.
That’s how things stayed until Davenport’s Lacey Chanady was whistled for a foul — and Haddad buried a direct kick from the top of the 18-yard box into the upper right-hand corner of the net to knot the score.
Vera stopped a total of five shots in the two overtime sessions and the Panthers had another shot by Roheema Bennett hit to the crossbar just 1:13 into the first extra session.
Vera finished with 10 saves in the tie for Rio Grande.
Regan Troff did not record a save in the deadlock for Davenport, which blanked another River States Conference school — Carlow University — 5-0 in its opener on Wednesday afternoon.
Rio Grande will make another attempt for its first win of the season when Marietta College visits on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Rio Grande’s Rachel Haddad (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a game-tying goal in the closing minutes of regulation during Thursday night’s 1-1 tie with Davenport (Mich.) University at Evan E. Davis Field. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-URG-Haddad.jpg Rio Grande’s Rachel Haddad (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a game-tying goal in the closing minutes of regulation during Thursday night’s 1-1 tie with Davenport (Mich.) University at Evan E. Davis Field. URG Submitted photo | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/8989/rio-women-pull-off-stunning-tie | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/9ba727ba441e1d37b44b7fac3bbad467ac9a9bbf0fb344b7b39e88aba2cb4a15.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:16 | null | 2016-08-25T21:12:08 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F8987%2Fblue-angels-open-the-season-with-a-win.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.27-GA-Caldwell.jpg | en | null | Blue Angels open the season with a win | null | null | mydailytribune.com | CENTENARY, Ohio — What a way to start.
The Gallia Academy volleyball team — which won it’s first 18 games of 2015 — earned its first victory of 2016 in straight games over Ohio Valley Conference guest Chesapeake, on Thursday night in Gallia County.
The Blue Angels (1-0, 1-0 OVC) never trailed in the first game, which they won by a 25-6 margin. The first game was capped off by 12 consecutive service points by GAHS senior Ryleigh Caldwell.
Gallia Academy followed up its convincing first game win with another lopsided triumph in the second game. The Blue Angels never trailed in the second, rolling to a 25-9 victory highlighted by eight consecutive service points by senior libero Brooke Pasquale.
Chesapeake took its first lead of the night at 3-2 in the third game, but GAHS immediately took the advantage back at 4-3. The Blue Angels’ lead was short-lived, however, as the Lady Panthers took the advantage at 6-5 and expanded it out to 13-6.
GAHS began to battle back, tied the game at 18 and eventually took the lead at 20-19. The Blue Angels never relinquished that lead, marching on to a 25-21 victory to complete the 3-0 sweep.
“I was real impressed,” third-year GAHS head coach Janice Rosier said of being able to bounce back in the third game. “I have a lot of seniors out there and they led like they should have. Ryleigh Caldwell had a couple of key hits that brought us back in the game and they all played very well to bring ourselves back.”
Carly Shriver led the GAHS service attack with 14 points and two aces. Caldwell finished with 12 points and three aces, Pasquale and Peri Martin each had eight points and two aces, while Jenna Meadows finished with six points. Ashton Webb marked four points, while Grace Martin contributed three service points to the victors’ total.
Webb led GAHS at the net with eight kills and two blocks, followed by Grace Martin with six kills and two blocks. Caldwell, Meadows and Alex Barnes each had four kills, with Barnes marking two blocks and Caldwell adding one. Hannah McCormick added one kill for GAHS, Shriver had a majority of the team’s assists, while Meadows led the defense with 15 digs.
“Tonight, I think what really got us fired up was that our blocking was on,” Rosier said. “We’ve been working really hard on blocking in practice, because we struggled with it during preseason. It showed tonight that it has improved a great deal.”
Chesapeake was led by Karli Davis with seven service points and Natalee Hall with five. Jozy Jones marked two points for the Lady Panthers, while Jaylynn Pine, Rachel Prat and Brooke Webb each posted one service point.
These teams will play again on September 22, in Chesapeake.
After Saturday’s Athens Invitational, the Blue Angels will resume their OVC title defense on Tuesday, when Fairland visits Centenary.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.
Gallia Academy senior Ryleigh Caldwell (1) attempts a spike over Chesapeake’s Karli Davis (2) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory, in Centenary on Thursday. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.27-GA-Caldwell.jpg Gallia Academy senior Ryleigh Caldwell (1) attempts a spike over Chesapeake’s Karli Davis (2) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory, in Centenary on Thursday. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/8987/blue-angels-open-the-season-with-a-win | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/81b60c96f0b1276830a5a88272766357ce84a2464f73681ba3e31c53d1b33a35.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-27T20:48:28 | null | 2016-08-27T14:59:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fopinion%2F9044%2Fbenefits-of-acknowledging-the-sin-nature.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_bo_small-1.jpg | en | null | Benefits of acknowledging the sin nature | null | null | mydailytribune.com | Twelve years without sugar. That has been the response of a very dear friend of mine to a meeting he had with his doctor 12 years ago. As the doctor stood before him, he delivered news that no one wants to hear; he was borderline diabetic and would need to start treatment.
But my friend is a man with two qualities everyone needs — wisdom and discipline.
He told the doctor to give him a month and let him see what he could do with diet and exercise alone. After a month of no sugar and daily exercise, his numbers were far more normal. And thus it is that, 12 years later, he has not put another drop of sugar in his system, continues to work out every day and remains healthy.
Please pay close attention at this point. I am not a medical doctor, I am not giving any advice on diabetes or any other medical condition, and this column has nothing at all to do with diabetes, really. The situation my friend has been through and handled is, to me, merely an excellent illustration of how to deal with a pressing societal issue.
In previous years, there was a near-universal acknowledgment of the sin nature of man, and people were wise enough to act and even govern accordingly. Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” In Romans 7:18 Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” These and a multitude of other verses give testimony to what should be an obvious fact: every human being has a sin nature, a propensity to do wrong.
For a variety of politically correct motivations, the fact of man’s sin nature is often denied in our days. Those that do so, do so to their detriment, and that of society as a whole. When people recognize that everyone has a sin nature, they can behave and govern in such a way as to mitigate the effects, much like my friend has managed his diabetes by refraining from all sugar.
Since everyone has a sin nature, wise parents, rather than allowing their children to do whatever they want, set careful boundaries, checks and balances and safeguards around those children.
They do not allow unchecked internet access, they monitor who their kids are hanging around, they set curfews, they have rules as to what destinations and activities are acceptable, and which ones are off limits.
Since everyone has a sin nature, wise husbands and wives make themselves accountable to each other. They do not have online accounts that the spouse does not have knowledge of or access to, they give each other full access to their smart phones, and they know each other’s passwords.
Since everyone has a sin nature, a wise minister never counsels alone behind closed doors with a child or a member of the opposite sex, does not travel and stay in hotels alone, and is willingly accountable to others.
Since everyone has a sin nature, wise lawmakers put laws in place carrying consequences for wrongdoing, provide for police officers to patrol the streets, and even place limits and oversights on the officers themselves.
If there were no sin nature, there would be no need for laws or rules or officers or curfews or accountability or societal barriers or a host of other often inconvenient things. But since there is a sin nature in every man and woman and boy and girl of every race and background, it must be accounted for and dealt with on a practical level. Denying the Bible truth that man does have a sin nature promises Utopia and delivers the Maelstrom.
As we go about our days, let us do so with three things: The sobering realization that man does have a sin nature, a willingness to put up safeguards against it, and the joy of knowing that since Jesus came and died to save sinners.
And all of us are sinners. We all qualify for the opportunity to be saved.
http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_bo_small-1.jpg
By Bo Wagner Contributing Columnist
Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, N.C., a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. Dr. Wagner can be contacted by email at [email protected]
Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, N.C., a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. Dr. Wagner can be contacted by email at [email protected] | http://mydailytribune.com/opinion/9044/benefits-of-acknowledging-the-sin-nature | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/02e7d62d66505ee5edc23706932892d402a64aa266283992633997d017d55b25.json |
[
"Gallipolis Daily Tribune"
] | 2016-08-27T08:47:54 | null | 2016-08-27T03:35:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fmydailytribune.com%2Fsports%2F9039%2Fraiders-roll-over-eagles-in-opener.json | http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.26-RV-EHS-Craycraft.jpg | en | null | Raiders roll over Eagles in opener | null | null | mydailytribune.com | BIDWELL, Ohio — On a scorcher of an opener, new River Valley starting quarterback Patrick Brown had the hot hand.
That’s because Brown, engineering the Raiders’ up-tempo fast-paced offense as the graduated Dayton Hardway’s replacement, threw for a hefty 303 yards and four touchdowns in River Valley’s 51-27 rout of the visiting Eastern Eagles on Friday night at a steambathed River Valley High School.
The contest marked the 2016 football season opener for both teams, as the Raiders registered their third consecutive lid-lifting victory over the Eagles.
In fact, Eastern remains winless in season openers since 2004.
Last season, River Valley blanked Eastern 57-0 in Meigs County — and appeared, early on, on its way to doing that once again.
The Raiders raced out to a 27-0 lead with eight minutes and 15 seconds left in the second quarter, and opened up a 37-6 advantage at the 3:46 mark before halftime.
Finally, with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter, Chris Parsons’ six-yard touchdown run made it 51-13 — as a pair of Jett Facemyer touchdown passes in the final 15:49 made the score much more respectable for Eastern.
The Raiders needed only a minute and 47 seconds into the third period to enforce the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule, when Jacob Campbell picked off Facemyer on the third play of the half — and returned the interception 55 yards for a touchdown.
But Brown’s four first-half touchdown tosses, and 278 yards through the air in the opening 24 minutes, allowed the Raiders to set the tone.
River Valley, after graduating 15 seniors from last season’s first-ever state playoff squad, is reloading under sixth-year head coach Jerrod Sparling.
Sparling said that although there is plenty of work yet to be done, it was a fast start — especially offensively — for his Raiders.
“For the most part, we’re a veteran football team, and I was really on these guys in practice this week to start fast tonight,” said Sparling. “It was a point of emphasis. Tonight was the fastest I think we have ever played on offense, and that’s a good thing. I’m really proud of the kids and their effort, but we have a long way to go before we are finished product. However, I think our guys handled our business pretty well. I thought playmakers made big plays and our quarterback played very, very well. He had a really good start taking over.”
Exactly what did Brown do for the Raiders?
They scored 37 first-half points, totaled all (377) but 34 yards and nine of their 46 plays from scrimmage in the first two quarters, and rushed for 65 yards on 20 carries.
Brown completed his opening 10 pass attempts, finishing the first half 12-of-17 with 278 yards.
“That’s not a bad start taking over,” said Sparling of his junior signal-caller, with a smile.
His only attempt in the second half was River Valley’s first play — a 25-yard completion to Layne Fitch to set up Parsons’ touchdown run at the 7:25 mark.
The Raiders wasted little time taking it right to the Eagles’ defense, receiving the opening kickoff and marching nine plays and 54 yards.
Brown completed three passes of six yards or more on the drive to Tre Craycraft, as Jacob Campbell carried five times — — including a walk-in three-yard touchdown run only two minutes and 48 seconds in.
Campbell finished with a team-high 40 yards on 11 carries.
After Eastern opened by driving 32 yards and nine plays prior to punting, Brown connected with Craycraft again — only two plays later at the 4:44 mark.
Craycraft crossed over the middle and made an in-stride reception, stiff-armed an Eastern defender, then outmaneuvered Eagle defenders along the sideline in dashing to the end zone.
The pitch-and-catch went for 60 yards, as Devin McDonald made the first of his five extra-point kicks — in addition to his 24-yard field goal that put the Raiders up 37-6.
“We came in and got shell-shocked,” said Eastern coach Pat Newland. “We were back on our heels and not playing football. We didn’t quit, but they (Raiders) continued to make plays because they are a good team. But when they make a big play, we can’t be like ‘oh my gosh we have to watch out for this and that.’ We have to read our keys and play fast right with them. We played real slow at first. We were playing open zones and not finding the receivers in those zones. We had a couple of blown coverages like we were lost in no man’s land.”
Craycraft caught eight passes for 175 yards, as Jacob Dovenbarger made two receptions for 66 yards — both touchdowns.
Sparling spoke highly of his wide receivers’ play.
“Our wideouts made plays. I can’t think of a wideout that didn’t make a play at one point in time tonight,” he said. “When you have that and you have momentum, that’s good.”
The other wideout which was involved was Jarrett McCarley, who capped the Raiders’ next scoring drive with a minute-and-a-half left in the opening period.
After Eastern endured a three-and-out possession, River Valley drove 58 yards in five plays — capped by Brown completing a deep pass to McCarley towards the corner of the end zone.
McCarley made the reception just inside the 5-yard-line, turned his shoulders to the outside once contacted, and stretched towards the goal-line for the 22-yard score.
McDonald made the extra point for the 20-0 lead, as the Eagles then ran five plays before punting once again.
The Raiders’ two second-stanza scores were a pair of touchdown completions from Brown to a downfield Dovenbarger — with the second coming off a flea-flicker from 48 yards away.
McDonald made both extra points, extending the River Valley cushion to 37-6 with six minutes remaining in the half.
Both teams finished with 18 first downs, although Eastern was forced to throw once trailing by 31 points.
The Eagles only rushed for 104 yards on 23 attempts, but Facemyer threw for 254 yards — and a pair of touchdowns in the final 15:49.
He completed 19-of-29, and rushed for two second-quarter TDs, making it 27-6 and 37-13.
Facemyer also rushed for game-highs in carries (13) and yards (63), but his final pass of the first half and his opening attempt of the second sealed the deal.
On the first half’s final play, Dustin Barber picked off Facemyer in the end zone, before Campbell came up with the pick-six to enforce the running clock.
Jeremiah Martindale made seven receptions for 102 yards, while Blaise Facemeyer caught eight aerials for 61.
“We are proud of our kids for not quitting after getting down early like that,” said Newland.
Blaise Facemyer caught a 12-yarder and Martindale a nine-yarder for Eastern’s second-half scores.
“Give credit to Eastern. They fought back in a couple of circumstances and had a bounce go one way or the other and they are back in the game. Their kids played hard,” said Sparling. “But we were able to do some things up front and be aggressive there and on the perimeter defensively. When you are playing bump-and run or man coverage, sometimes they (opponent) are going to win. We made a couple of mistakes here and there and we weren’t crisp all the time, but overall I thought we still had a good effort on that side of the football.”
As for Eastern’s defense, Newland admits it needs work, as the Eagles host Miller on Friday night (Sept. 2) for their home and Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division openers.
“We have to be able to switch up and know exactly what the coverages are every time we line up and play aggressively,” he said. “We can’t play passive or indecisive.”
Playing aggressive, and fast, is what propelled the Raiders to another season-opening triumph.
River Valley visits arch-rival Gallia Academy on Saturday night (Sept. 3) for its next game — the second annual Ohio Valley Bank Community Bowl.
“We have a lot of older players on this team that are hungry to make their own mark on this program and carve their own legacy,” said Sparling. “I’m excited about this group and this coaching staff, and tonight was a good start for what we want to ultimately accomplish.”
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
River Valley’s Tre Craycraft (42) avoids the tackle of Eastern’s Jeremiah Martindale during Friday night’s season-opening football game at River Valley High School. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.26-RV-EHS-Craycraft.jpg River Valley’s Tre Craycraft (42) avoids the tackle of Eastern’s Jeremiah Martindale during Friday night’s season-opening football game at River Valley High School. Paul Boggs/OVP Sports | http://mydailytribune.com/sports/9039/raiders-roll-over-eagles-in-opener | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | mydailytribune.com/f038d6b48e2e06114fa0c43537f73e7312dfe9c5079b79d2e4c4d10c695dfca0.json |
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PM, Kamla talk crime Friday
By Clint Chan Tack Tuesday, August 30 2016
PRIME Minister Dr Keith. Rowley and Opposition Leader. Kamla Persad-Bissessar will. meet at 11 am on Friday at the. Office of the Prime Minister in St. Clair, Port-of-Spain, to discuss a. non-partisan approach to dealing. with crime in the country,
In a signed letter dated August. 29 (yesterday), Permanent Secretary. to the Prime Minister Sandra. Jones informed Persad-Bissessar. that Rowley would meet with her. on Friday. Jones indicated that the. Prime Minister would be grateful. if Persad-Bissessar would send. him a suggested agenda of items. which she would raise at the. meeting. She asked Persad-Bissessar. to submit this agenda by. the close of business today,
In another signed letter, dated. August 25, Jones advised Persad-. Bissessar that Rowley had. received her letter dated August. 24, entitled crime crisis. She. told Persad-Bissessar that Rowley. would communicate with her on. a later date to discuss the issues. raised in her letter. In a brief. response yesterday, Persad-Bissessar. said, I welcome the invite. and we (Opposition) will attend.. Speaking at the post-Cabinet. news conference at the Office of. the Prime Minister on August 25,. Rowley said, I will receive her. (Persad-Bissessar) in the same. way that she received me when. she was prime minister.. He added, I hope there are. suggestions that we can all agree. on and if there is anything the. Government can do to improve. the situation, we have no problem. with that.. At that briefing, Rowley assured. that the National Security. Council, which he chairs and the. countrys law enforcement agencies. are working to bring crime in. TT under control,
. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232552.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/864247a6e4c03469cbf0864c3c40964c8cfa940cb1422f05677801facd252af0.json |
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Freddie Kissoon dies at home
Monday, August 29 2016
Playwright and former Newsday columnist Freddie Kissoon,86, has died. Kissoon was found dead at his home in Diamond Vale yesterday morning.
Kissoon was the founder and director of The Strolling Players.
He was also an actor, director and drama teacher.
As an actor, Kissoon has made more than 200 stage appearances, acting in Caribbean plays Ping Pong, Sea at Dauphin, Drums and Colours, Man Better Man (which was staged in London), and Croydon and Glasgow (for the Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965).
As a director, Kissoon has directed more than 100 plays. As a drama teacher, he conducted classes for American students at the Ecumenical Centre and the Peace Corps in 1968 at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine.
He was in charge of acting classes for the Vacation School in the Arts at UWI in 1966, 67 and 71.
He also taught creative drama at six Teachers Training Colleges, three youth camps and several community centres.
He has taught classes in such places as Nelson Island, Lopinot, Mayaro, YTC Golden Grove, Blanchisseuse and Tobago. He also conducted sessions in Grenada, St Vincent, St Kitts and Curacao. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232522.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/6aa3c4ed3d8162260f28d35de45e74dff3db9474f0d5813f9ef9c0fb8cbbf708.json |
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Are we a patriotic people?
By COREY CONNELLY Sunday, August 28 2016
THE negative comments which accompanied the dismal showing by the majority of Trinidad and Tobagos athletes at the recently-concluded Olympics Games in Brazil have triggered some debate about the level of patriotism among the citizenry. And, with TTs 54th anniversary of Independence mere days away, observers suggested that while sport has generally been a unifying element in the country, it also has been the source of much contention over the years.
In Sunday Newsday interviews, last week, they argued that the adverse criticisms via social media and other fora about the performances of the athletes were symptomatic of a general love-hate mindset among citizens that persisted in many facets of national life. As a result, they observed that rather than carry out an analysis of the factors which contribute to a particular end, many simply submit to outright bashing - an attitude which, they said, flew in the face of genuine patriotism.
NO WE ARE NOT We are not really patriotic, says Reginald Dumas, a retired head of the public service.
We are essentially a pull-down society.
We do not build. We even attribute motives and actions to people that may not have even crossed the peoples (who are spoken about) minds. He added: We do a lot of talking and to run them (athletes) down like that was unfair.
Instead of analyse, we pull them down immediately.
You cannot be proud of a country only when it does well. Dumas argued that people rarely focus on the merits or demerits about what a person has said to see what improvements, if any, can be made, but instead often seek to attack the persons character.
That has been hold- ing us back because we dont se ourselves as whole but as individuals, he said.
We always seem to be focusing on what is good for the individual but not the country and as a result, we (T&T) have not made the progress we should have over our years as an independent country. Even so, Dumas observed that there was much unnecessary hype in the weeks preceding the Olympics.
He recalled there was talk that this years contingent was the largest in the countrys history while President of the TT Olympic Committee Brian Lewis, according to media reports, also predicted that T&T would get ten medals between Rio and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. A smaller team could have brought more medals, Dumas said of the Rio Games.
Noting that many people appeared to have lost sight of the fact that the local athletes were competing against the best in the world, Dumas wondered if was realistic to assume that they would have gotten a sizeable portion of the medals in the Olympics.
There were questions about preparations - some were not performing at their best and others had injuries.
Perhaps some of them should not have even been chosen, he said.
Dumas noted that Keshorn Walcott, who got this countrys only medal in the Rio Olympicsin the javelin throw, observed in an interview that the unity which existed among the contingent for the London Olympics four year ago simply was there in Rio De Janeiro. Instead, Walcott was quoted in media reports as saying that the certain heads were to blame for the lacklustre performances.
That was a serious statement Walcott made, Dumas said, insisting there must be a serious post-mortem of the performances at the Games.
ABOUD ASHAMED President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) Gregory Aboud told Sunday Newsday he was ashamed of the unflattering postings on social media about the athletes performances at the Games. He said people did not pay attention to the fact that many of the athletes had performed in the upper percentile of qualifying groups, even though they failed to qualify for the finals. Aboud said: When you look at the medal table you see countries such as India with a population of one billion people very close by in ranking to a country such as ours.
Even in comparison to our Caribbean neighbours, we rank in the top three, only after Jamaica and the Bahamas. Aboud sought to link the negative views about the athletes performances to a flippancy among many citizens which, he believes, accompanied the prosperity T&T enjoyed during its oil boom years.
There is a general sense that we have become spoilt, that all of the energy money which was so lavishly spent in the last ten years has made us weaker citizens, less grateful for the efforts of others and having less value for the important things in life that money cannot buy, he said.
I do believe that this spoilt-brat behaviour is symptomatic of the foolish spending and the money can solve anything habit that we have developed during the years of plenty. Prominent Roman Catholic priest Fr Garfield Rochard contended that the country was never truly socialised into a patriotic way of life, hence the resulting social media fallout to the athletes performances.
Giving an incisive take of the situation, Rochard argued that pivotal developments in T&Ts history: the transition from British colony status; the birth of the Peoples National Movement (PNM); and the failed West Indian Federation and Independence, erred in instilling a true sense of patriotism in citizens.
We grew up as a colony - the British way of handling things - but there was a desire for us to handle ourselves (Independence) which operated from a blatant psyche. But there were still those who wanted to work in Britain, he said.
Rochard, parish priest of the Church of the Assumption in Maraval, said there were eventually two movements which attempted to encourage the country to govern its own affairs. He recalled that both the Catholic Church and the PNM, during the 1940s and 1950s, respectively, promoted the idea of independence The church pushed for a local clergy to build the country because it recognised the value of home while the PNM was a movement that wanted us to take care of ourselves, Rochard said.
Rochard said following the collapse of the West Indies Federation (because of political conflict), which existed from 1958 to 1962 and was headquartered in T&T, the politics rushed for independence without the country being prepared to take political charge. He added: It was a political dream but independence was really paper work in London and raising the flag here. With that now, you hope that patriotism will flourish but really, no blood had been shed for us to really appreciate it.
PATRIOTISM A WORK IN PROGRESS Former National Calypso Monarch Eric Pink Panther Taylor said patriotism in T&T was still largely a work in progress. Since 1962, we have endeavoured to build a nation where every creed and race will find and equal place and somehow that is not really the reality, he told Sunday Newsday. Despite being 54 yearsold, there are some in Independent TT who still operate along racial lines and strictly religious disciplines.
These factors contribute to our inability to forge a nation. As long as that is the case, then patriotism is always under threat, the veteran calypso bard said.
I believe the best chance to get that going is to focus on the things that unite us instead of the things that continue to divide us, he said. Saying that the psyche of the country must be looked at critically, in terms cultivating a heightened sense of patriotism, Dumas said the process must begin with the young children in the schools.
Towards this end, he lauded Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowleys thrust to give the subject, History, a more prominent role in the schools curriculum.
He said while there has been advances in technology and other areas over the past 54 years, TT had regressed in its commitment to country. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232466.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/7257b3f62d89c16fa568bfd400c271b81a5d4fa8b83e238258cde4fe53b52e2c.json |
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Cyons killer will pay, says relative at funeral
By STACY MOORE Friday, August 26 2016
EVEN as grieving relatives continue to question the circumstances surrounding the killing of nineyear- old Cyon Emmanuel Paul, some signalling that the childs killer will pay, a pastor yesterday urged family members not to concoct malice in their hearts as vengeance was not up to them.
Pastor John Young was delivering the sermon at Cyons funeral service at Guides Funeral Home, Coffee Street, San Fernando yesterday.
Cyon, of Byron Street, La Romaine, a pupil of the La Romaine RC School, was shot dead while he was walking along the Southern Main Road, La Romaine, a short distance from his home on Friday last. Paul was accompanying a young relative to purchase hot dogs at a nearby businessplace.
Reports are that, upon reaching a service station along the Southern Main Road, several gunshots rang out. Cyon and his relative turned around and started to run but Cyon collapsed. He was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital in a police vehicle, but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Young said that in todays society, a human life has no value.
Cyon died on Friday night and it was business as usual, Young said. Everyone kept on doing what they were doing. Why do we harbour and encourage a few miscreants because of the love of money? he asked.
Young said he does not know why the child was killed, but he knew that the person responsible for his death was heartless. You saw a crowd of people and shoot, that is idiotic and to then walk away. So many people are now grieving because of your foolishness. Plans are underway for a police post to be placed in La Romaine.
Young said the intervention by government officials and police officers would not deter criminal activity in the area and that only God could change the hearts of people.
Cyons grandfather, Clyde Francis, said the person who murdered the child will pay.
As he spoke, mourners cheered on in agreement. Pauls cousin Nyoka Daniel broke down in tears, Why why why an innocent child? Daniel had to be consoled as spoke, her piercing screams echoed throughout the church walls.
Their neighbour Police Constable, Francelia Jackson, called on members of the community to come together to live in peace.
Let us just love each other. We need each other so let us be strong as a community, an emotional Jackson said. Delivering the eulogy, Cyons cousin Sarah Charles recalled that he had a love for sports.
She described him as full of joy and kindness.
He was the fastest runner in his school and could have been a national sportsman of Trinidad and Tobago, she said. Pauls mother Safiya Williams and grandmother Janet Charles cried loudly as they viewed his body. They both kissed him farewell. Paul was cremated at the Guides Crematorium. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232386.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/c1a4e17b9fc1b9e061a33528dfd34297f42a514597c7b354be7256d86c5a5fae.json |
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My son did not kill Cyon
By Cecily Asson Friday, August 26 2016
click on pic to zoom in
THE mother of the visually impaired man, deemed to be a main suspect in the shooting death of nine-year-old Cyon Paul, is defending her son saying that he is innocent.
The woman who requested anonymity, visited Newsdays office yesterday to clear his name, as her entire family is in fear for their lives. The little boy was killed in La Romaine last Friday night while in the company of his cousin on their way to purchase hot dogs. Since Cyons death, persons, she said, have been pointing fingers in his direction. The 35 year-old-man works as a PH driver and is the father of three.
He lost an eye in a vehicular accident a few years ago and, although he has an impairment, the worried mother said her son continues to ply his private car for hire to support his family.
She told Newsday, As a Christian, I believe in the truth regardless of how it may sound. My son is not a saint, but on that night, he did not shoot anyone. She said her own investigations revealed that he was the one who was shot at when a car approached the bar where he was patron and the occupants of the vehicle fired several shots at him. He was liming with some vendors outside the bar. She continued, He was almost knocked down by a passing vehicle when he was running from bullets. I will not let anyone get away with such drastic lie. She said the community believes it is her son who did it.
According to the woman, there are those who know who sent their boys to assassinate her son and instead end up killing the young boy. She said the killers now want her son dead because he knows who did it. She further claimed that in the early hours of Sunday morning while her son was on his way to Princes Town to visit a friend, occupants in two vehicles opened fire on him and tried to run him off the road. The incident, she said, was reported to the Princes Town Police Station. I told him you get away Friday you get away Sunday, dont feel is luck, it is our prayers that keeping you. Saying that she has never encouraged her son in wrongdoing, the woman admitted that he used to peddle drugs but quit following the accident in which he lost his eye.
He cant see to run from police so good so he came out of that, but he continues to hang out with the wrong people, she added.
I dont like his lifestyle as it is not the life we are living. He was a victim on Friday night and now it is affecting the entire family. She moved out of La Romaine a few years ago and has seen the community in which she grew up now riddled with crime which she said is being fuelled by greed | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232382.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/758c376fb8d5e9fc904228da756896ce36b249676ebe111f2e48d2fd796a5fda.json |
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NO EXCUSES
By Nalinee Seelal Wednesday, August 31 2016
click on pic to zoom in
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday summoned the executive of the TT Police Service, as well as all senior superintendents and all heads of sections to an impromptu meeting, in which he told the officers, take charge of your divisions.
The officers were attending a COMPSTAT (computer statistics) meeting at the fifth floor of the Police Administration Building, Edward Street, when acting Commissioner of Police, Harold Phillip, received a telephone call asking him to inform his executive, senior superintendents and heads of sections to attend a twohour meeting at the request of the Prime Minister at the Diplomatic Centre, St Anns.
The meeting was the first that Rowley has had with the police service and Newsday understands the meeting was called because of the dissatisfaction expressed by members of the business community and the public over the spiralling crime rate, especially murders and gun-related offences.
Up until yesterday, the murder toll stood at 340 for the year thus far.
Newsday understands that in addressing the senior officers, Rowley insisted that police officers had an overall responsibility to protect and serve and that the citizens were expressing concern that the motto of the police service was not being carried out.
He said no excuses would be tolerated because the security and safety of citizens is of utmost importance and also suggested that officers step up the partnership drive with the public so that the public can be the eyes and ears of the police service in the fight against crime.
The Prime Minister also told officers that the time has come for the police service to shine and for the public to feel a sense of safety. But because this is not happening, he decided to call in the troops to ask them to get the job done. He also told the officers that apart from being police officers, they are also citizens of this country and their families live in this country and they should put the extra effort in ensuring that the lives of all citizens are protected and that the criminal elements are fleshed out to bring Trinidad and Tobago to the society it once was.
Officers were also asked to offer suggestions in relation to how serious crimes and murders could be stamped out. Rowley informed the officers that the Government has the back of the police service and will support them all the way through but insisted that some of the resources which they require cannot be made available to them at this current time.
Also attending the meeting were National Security Minister, Edmund Dillon; Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Dennis Moses and parliamentary secretary in the Ministry, Glenda Jennings-Smith. Several senior officers who also attended the meeting welcomed the face-toface meeting with the Prime Minister and said, while he did not attack them on the crime detection rate, he called on them to take charge with immediate effect. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232596.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/96f93eeceb2e40f9f0381ed321f725293807b718a988e148830669a14c60ab11.json |
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PSA prayer day on Monday
Saturday, August 27 2016
PUBLIC Services Association (PSA) president, Watson Duke, is calling on all its members to dedicate Monday as a day of prayer with dawn to dusk fasting.
At a press conference yesterday in front the Ministry of Finance, Port-of-Spain, Duke said a lot of their members are burdened by the weight of concerns the government has placed on them.
Persons are asked to stay at home to pray and fast or they can go to work to pray and fast or join us on the Brian Lara Promenade to pray and fast, Duke said.
Discussions among us lead us to believe that workers are contemplating their future, whether it makes sense to continue working for money that is being devalued on a day to day basis. He continued, They are not only talking about the US currency, but we are talking about the devaluation that comes about from increases in NIS, increase in VAT on non-vatable goods, increases in the general course of living, their income, their purchasing power is being reduced. We are now asked to make magic with little. Duke lamented that the PSA and members are sending a robust message to those who occupy the Finance Tower and the Treasury, that they must take care of the public service. He said the public service is the arms and legs used to extend service to the public and it is time that priorities are given to the workers.
We need a salary that mirrors the challenges in the times in which we live. Many persons have not been paid and some of those persons will be coming out on Monday, many of them are wondering what will become of their jobs because we are still hearing about the TTRA (TT Revenue Authority), we are still hearing about a number of privatisation and it worries us, he said.
Duke further added, Monday we will be here from 6 am to 6 pm and persons can be engaged in a day of prayer and fast. It is only the first of many fasting to come. We are saying come and let us sit at the table and have discussions, if there is no money let us talk still, there may be other things that we can request and you can provide that can satisfy our concerns. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232447.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/b900932d746b0c1975b8ca21ac0001894e242af383a438450714d1979ec5a5a9.json |
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SEC sends FCB IPO to DPP
Monday, August 29 2016
THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission has referred its findings in relation to the First Citizens Bank (FCB) initial public offering (IPO) of 2013 to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the new SEC chairman Douglas Mendes SC confirmed last week.
The SE C completed an internal investigation some time ago and is now awaiting the DPPs written advice which is expected shortly, Mendes told Newsday when asked for a status update on the probe.
Mendes was appointed SE C chairman in April.
The SE C is understood to have exercised its powers under Section 168 of the Securities Act which empowers the regulator to refer matters to the DPP. The DPP has remit over criminal prosecutions and provides legal advice in relation to probes done by investigatory authorities.
According to a legal notice, in 2014 British barrister Peter Knox QC was admitted to the Bar locally for the purpose of, an investigation pursuant to the Securities Act, 2012 by the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission into suspected violations of the Securities Act, 2012 with respect to the purchase and trading of First Citizens Bank Limited Shares by Hassan Phillip Rahaman.
The FCB IPO was marred by reports that some bank officials may have used their access and employee discounts to purchase and then sell shares at a profit. Rahaman was the FCB group chief risk officer.
The matter was referred to the Ministry of Finance, the SE C and the Office of the DPP for action in 2014.
An independent senator whose firm was tied to the IPO resigned, and the FCB board changed.
Mendess statement is the first indication that the SE C has referred the matter to the Office of the DPP, which does not conduct investigations but provides advice.
After the initial reports in 2013, subsequent reports emerged in relation to further share transactions.
In 2014, the Parliament passed a substantially watered-down revamp of securities law drawn up after a bi-partisian committee process and after the State consulted the financial entities the law is meant to police. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232516.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/74f3bc5779e7f30cfb70cf351d7671a730f354da67efdda2355f989daf16acba.json |
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Relief for cancer patients
By CAROL MATROO Wednesday, August 31 2016
AFTER months of awaiting the arrival of cancer medication to treat this often life-threatening disease, the Ministry of Health has received some of the drugs needed to treat patients.
The ministry, yesterday, announced that the first shipment of drugs would arrive during the first week of September for immediate distribution, adding that a further shipment of medication would arrive during the second half of September.
However, a source yesterday informed Newsday that some of the medication was already in the country with more to arrive within the coming week.
The much needed medications were procured by the National Insurance Property Development Company Limited (Nipdec).
One of the major drugs that was unavailable was morphine which is used to help ease the pain of end stage cancer patients.
Deyalsingh had explained that this country had only one registered source for morphine, which was the United Kingdom. He said the ministry was now trying to source a second manufacturer, also from the UK, which was one one of very few countries that produced the drug for export.
There has also been a shortage of chemotherapy drugs which could cause a patient tens of thousands of dollars to import, if they wanted to live.
The source said this would take a longer time to reach the country since it was being imported from India.
The procurement of the shipments of drugs has been facilitated by the emergency funding which Cabinet approved on July 14, 2016.
However, the source said there was no indication as to how many months supply of drugs had been ordered, or how long the supply would last. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232599.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/1753950cd5b2a9d25d411834bb7f997339be373645248b4eb6efacecbbf49445.json |
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Rowley wants better results on crime
By Clint Chan Tack Friday, August 26 2016
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday empathised with the family of nine-year-old murder victim Cyon Emmanuel Paul and assured the population that the National Security Council (NSC), which he chairs, and the countrys law enforcement agencies are working to bring crime in TT under control.
Addressing the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Portof- Spain, Rowley said, Nobody in this country is comfortable seeing a nine-year-old (child) being gunned down in TT because criminals have taken action resulting in that kind of outcome. Noting the decisions to commit crimes remain with the individuals who commit them, the Prime Minister said the perpetrators of many crimes are known to many people and encouraged by others.
He told those people, If you are encouraging crime in your family or your neighbourhood, desist. He also said there are avenues whereby people with information on crime can provide that information safely and anonymously. On the response to crime in the country, Rowley said there was tremendous room for improvement. He declared, We want better results. Rowley said because the NSC is functioning, it discovered that for several months before the Peoples National Movement (PNM) assumed office last September, the facial recognition system at Piarco International Airport has been deliberately sabotaged. He said this created a situation where persons coming through Piarco Airport, law-abiding and possibly criminals, could not be identified for reasons best known to some (persons). The Prime Minister said the situation was being rectified.
He said because the NSC is working, it has been able to address a gaping hole in the criminal justice system regarding witness statements, by having people have their testimonies taped. Explaining that Cabinet and the Government will not overstep their authority with respect to the functioning of any independent body in TT, Rowley said the same people who are now calling on him to take charge of crime would be the first to cry political interference if Government was perceived to be micromanaging in places where it should not.
On Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessars call for non-partisan talks on crime, Rowley said, I will receive her in the same way that she received me when she was prime minister. He added, I hope there are suggestions that we can all agree on and if there is anything the Government can do to improve the situation, we have no problem with that. However, Rowley rejected Persad- Bissessars call for him to assume the role of National Security Minister. Regarding the Cabinets composition, Rowley stated, I will listen to advice but it is not every piece of advice that I will take. He also said the hemispheric defence ministers meeting to be held in TT in October was agreed to in February 2014 by the Persad-Bissessar administration. His Government, he said, managed to reduce the original bill for the conference from $16.5 million to $9 million.
Rowley said he has not seen the video of young men with high-powered firearms. He said that was being looked into by the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).
However, he disclosed, What I have seen is a picture of me hugging up a woman. Reporters laughed as Rowley quipped, I want you all to know ... do not waste any time with that ... its not me. Expressing optimism the Police Service will root out unsavoury elements within its ranks and a permanent Police Commissioner would soon be appointed, Rowley said the type of arms and ammunition being recovered by the police show there is a market for them in TT. He explained this is why Government is actively taking steps to bolster the countrys maritime security and collaborating with its international partners.
Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young said National Security Minister Edmund Dillon meets weekly with the heads of various national security agencies, including the police. Young also said there are regular meetings with the commanders of police divisions, which the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association has called for. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232384.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/e132ad4779b48508089ec70b2a10480626628aab617b8d4ad3ac86a214cbf3dc.json |
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Religious parade
Monday, August 29 2016
Arima Roman Catholic priest and former Bishop, Galt, and a member of the first peoples Santa Rosa community lead the canopy bearing the statue of Saint Rose de Lima, Patron of the Eastern Borough during a religious parade through the town yesterday.
This was part of the observance of the official feast of the Saint, celebrated yesterday with a church service at the Santa Rosa Church and a harvest and fair in the square immediately opposite the church.
The Carib community usually takes the lead in the festivities which coincide with national independence observances.
Among those attending the event yesterday were Mayor of Arima, Geoge Hadeed and his Councillors, and parliamentary representative for Arima, Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232524.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/5be05665f552c706ca101fab9eb2bed5a28815a2a15d83da49bd595c9e40ac79.json |
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CSO: Unemployment rises
Tuesday, August 30 2016
THE Central Statistical Office (CSO) is reporting that the countrys overall unemployment rate for TT for the last quarter of 2015 increased from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent in the first quarter of thise year. In a release, the CSO said, from a gender perspective, the unemployment rate among men increased from 3.4 to 3.7 percent.
Additionally, unemployment amongst women increased from 3.6 to 3.8 percent during the same period.
When compared to the similar quarter a year earlier the data showed that the overall unemployment rate increased from 3.6 to 3.8 percent. The countrys labour force registered 641,900 persons at the end of the first quarter of 2016. This represented a decrease of 2,000 or 0.3 percent when compared to the last quarter of 2015. From a gender perspective, this decrease in the labour Force was reflected among males. The data shows that men decreased by 4700 or 1.2 percent while women increased by 2,700 or one percent.
The overall labour force participation rate for TT decreased to 60.1 percent in the first quarter of this year. When compared with the corresponding quarter in 2015, the overall Labour Force Participation Rate decreased from 60.7 to 60.1 percent.
The survey data showed a decrease of 3,800 or 0.6 percent in the number of persons with jobs, in the quarter under review. The number of employed men decreased by 5,800 or 1.6 percent while the number of employed females increased by 2,000 or 0.8 percent. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232567.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/ce817ffa281647db22ca37621663f42296100823296cd3f80f1a774d1fb1afd4.json |
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Drones ban at Independence parade
by Shane Superville Friday, August 26 2016
LIEUTENANT Commander of the Coast Guard and public affairs officer of the Defence Force, Kirk Jean-Baptiste, stated yesterday that absolutely no drones would be allowed over the Grand Stand, Queens Park Savannah, or at any point above the parade route during the Independence Day Military Parade next week Wednesday Jean-Baptiste made the remarks yesterday at a media briefing and rehearsal session for members of the armed forces at the Savannah, in which he said that people found using drones over the Savannah would be dealt with according to the law .
There will be absolutely no use of drones on the day of the parade and I wish to make that abundantly clear .
The use of drones at the Savannah or at any point along the parade route will not be permitted and anyone found using a drone will be dealt with by police officers, he said .
I personally would have shot the drones down, but that would be against the wishes of the Police Service, Jean-Baptiste jokingly added. He said the use of drones to record footage of the parade could pose a danger to security officials and spectators alike, as the drone could potentially collide with helicopters or other aircraft that will be featured at the parade .
Jean-Baptiste also said that the signals emitted from the radio control devices used by drones could disrupt the signal and interfere with the feed of cameras and microphones .
Drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems, are radio- controlled aircraft operated in a similar manner to model airplanes or helicopters. In 2014, several concerns were raised about the use of drones to spy on people or businesses .
Earlier this year, the Ministry of National Security issued a media release in which it addressed concerns about drones being used in designated no-fly zones .
The release stated that the use of drones in any mass public gathering or in the vicinity of manned aircraft operations were strictly prohibited under the Civil Aviation Act .
. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232391.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/fa8b5ccd96ba658866877f7782f8a8e12868bd703e398850755e7108e0beb8dd.json |
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Symphony meets Swing on peaceful night
By VERNE BURNETT Monday, August 29 2016
All is not lost, all the countrys young people are not out on the streets shooting and killing each other as might seem to be the case from the daily news: several hundred of them were inside Queens Hall, St. Anns on Saturday night at the Ivory and Ebony Symphony meets Swing concert where they thrilled a packed and appreciative audience with the music of famous composers such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Aaron Copland and many other great American Jazz composers.
Kenneth Listrop, founder and musical director of the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philaharmonic Orchestra said that the concept of the concert was the incorporation of the European symphony orchestra to play both classical music (Ivory) and prdominantly Afro- American Jazz music (Ebony) which he said was a reversal of the popular song Ebony and Ivory. Listrop appealed for donations to buy more instruments for the orchestra, paying tribute to the Bankers Association for a grant to purchase musical instruments and former United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Beatrice Wilkinson- Welters, her husband and The Vincent Wilkinson Foundation for the most generous instruments donation. Saying that with more instruments many more students could be given the opportunity to study a musical instrument, he said, Think of it, by donating a musical instrument, you are leaving a legacy for generations to come. He added that he would prefer donations of wind and brass instruments and said he would be especially grateful if someone felt generous enough to donate a harp. To thunderous applause from the hall, Listrop hailed the woman on the bass, a Venezuelan woman who he said could not speak any English. He said she had come to Trinidad for a short visit but heard about the orchestra and ended up spending a lot of her time with them. Again to extended applause and cheers, he said the woman had been an inspiration to the orchestra.
He added that the Youth Philharmonic had outgrown the University School, where they had been based for the past 16 years, and needed more spacious accommodations.
Drawing on the Biblical story of Joseph and the Children of Israel, he said Joseph was loved and made Prime Minister of Egypt when he intepreted a dream warning of a famine, but when he died and time passed there arose a Pharoah that knew not Joseph, and the Children of Israel were enslaved.
He said he did not want the orchestra to suffer the same fate as the Children of Israel or as the Birdsong Steel Orchestra, which was evicted from its home on the corner of St Vincent and Connell Streets in Tunapuna in August.
He said he wanted to see the Youth Philharmonic orchestra relocated to its own premises before it was evicted. Just like Birdsong, the Philharmonic has evolved into an academy of sorts, running a free music programme in which it works with teenaged youth, many of whom could be described as at risk young people.
We were received into the University School in 1995 with love and we want to leave with love before Wednesday, he joked, inviting a donor to provide some land on which the orchestra could establish itself.
He said next year must meet us in our own home. Playing like professionals, the young people delivered a creditable rendition of Beethovens Symphony No.7 in A major, Op. 92; Hoe-Down (from Rodeo) by American composer Aaron Copland; the National Anthem of Trinidad and Tobago; and rounded out an enchanting evening with various other pieces including compositions by George Gershwin; a Tribute to Nat and Natalie Cole When I fall in Love by Victor Young sung as a duet by Wayne Harris and De- Niece George-Thomas; This will be by Marvin Yancy performed by Annette Hall, De-Niece George-Thomas and Laura Nero-Nesbitt | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232518.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/46254220ff91c4a6a9cc938b731a4b44d116712904e6681a6b51ae4d868944cc.json |
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Cabinet approves $1M help for fishermen
Friday, August 26 2016
CABINET yesterday authorised Finance Minister Colm Imbert to allocate a sum of $1 million to fishermen in south-west Trinidad who have been affected by recent fish kills.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made the announcement in response to questions from reporters at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.
Supporting statements made earlier in the briefing by Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat on the matter, Rowley said, Today, the Cabinet instructed the Minister of Finance to allocate and find $1 million to allow, without prejudice, assistance to those persons who have lost their livelihood as a result of what is happening in that particular area. He added, It is not compensation, it is assistance. Explaining that liability must be addressed before issues of compensation can be discussed, Rowley said Cabinet has instructed State oil company Petrotrin to identify any and all responsibilities which it may have with respect to oil leak, oil spill in the area. He said should it be determined that Petrotrins activities would have caused any outcome, there are legal liabilities which Petrotrin must discharge and that is where the compensation comes in. The Prime Minister recalled that it was first believed the dead fish were dumped but later tests on other dead fish in the area have been inconclusive.
Rowley said while he has not seen the documentation himself, he was told there appears to be some connection between some of those dead fish and hydrocarbon operations at Petrotrin. Recalling there were concerns about fish in south-west Trinidad being affected by a substance used to deal with an oil spill during the reign of the former Peoples Partnership government, Rowley said, Petrotrin is the only agency that would be called to account if there is in fact oil leak or pollution of hydrocarbons in the Gulf that way. The Prime Minister said Cabinet decided to provide assistance to the affected fishermen because it was clear some consumers would not be purchasing fish from this area. However, he said none of the relevant State agencies have found anything to suggest that fish caught in the Gulf of Paria was not safe to eat. I eat fish. I am very happy eating fish, Rowley added.
Rambharat said Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis has directed the Environmental Management Authority to send samples of the affected fish and soil to a laboratory overseas for testing. He said his ministry will be reviewing arrangements relating to fish trawler operations in TT, including the dumping of fish. As someone who was raised in a fishing village, Rambharat said this was a matter which deeply concerned him. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232383.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/85c748cffb969213bc8528c8ab40e77a95009957ed7a7a04c5a930696a9ae226.json |
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Wheelchair Sunday
By Marlene Augustine Monday, August 29 2016
There is no law to treat with the differently-abled says Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.
He was speaking yesterday following a fund raising event hosted by businesswoman and philanthropist Hannah Janoura who distributed a 110 wheelchairs to differently-abled persons at 42- 46 Sackville Street, Port-of-Spain.
Government over the years has spent billions of dollars and in our estimation we need to re-target, so that the dollar spent can have an effect and get close to those who need it. Al-Rawi continued, For this reason we have spent a significant among of time on consultation and law which will be coming shortly to reform our local government system so that our targeting system will be much tighter and relief comes to those who need it the most. Al-Rawi indicated that from their estimation government spent billions of dollars per annum, in security, nine billion dollars, in social services, nine to ten billion a year, but the question is, does this reach where it should reach? He emphasised that it is an indignity in having to ask for something which is needed, and should be known.
Once we have a registration process and a social services function, you ought to be known already as tax payers, as citizens with an Identification Card, if you have a disability, or a differently able situation, the government ought to know and track the information. The reform is to improve the situation, he said.
Al-Rawi said he has been in consultation with the United Nations, and soon will be looking at the planning and structuring of ramps in the city, to be more accessible for the differently-abled persons.
Those who build the ramps clearly never spend a day in a wheelchair because the ramp is steep, narrow, you have to rely on others to help you across the road, the Blind Welfare is next to the Court and people break the traffic lights, so even though the law exists in the planning laws, clearly common sense does not necessarily exist in the people that build it, he explained.
He noted that there is a hole in the law and is currently working with the United Nations and hope to have consultations to come up with that.
Meanwhile, Janoura said she began the wheelchair drive after hearing the touching story of amputee, Donna Mae Greaves.
Janoura said when local designer, Brian McFarlane came to her seeking assistance for Greaves she readily agreed. He told me her story and I got very emotional and I continue to help those who are in need, she said.
She said the fundraiser was so successful that it allowed for the further purchase of an additional 100 wheelchairs soon to be brought in to be distributed to TT s differently-abled by Christmas. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232517.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/a0bbdc5f52a68738bf07c50436be18afacda830f7db7d7178c498127438b4b1e.json |
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Medal for dead forestry officer
Wednesday, August 31 2016
FORESTRY officer Keith Campbell will receive the Hummingbird Medal (Bronze) for gallantry at this years National Awards Ceremony which takes place at Queens Hall in St Anns from 7 pm tonight. Campbell, who died in March after being severely burnt in a bush fire off Lady Chancellor Road, St Anns, will posthumously receive this award for gallantry.
At todays ceremony, for the first time in recent memory, the Order of the Republic of TT (ORTT) , this countrys highest national award will not be presented at this years National Awards Ceremony. According to the list some 31 persons will be honoured at the ceremony which takes place Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had proposed that former prime minister Patrick Manning, who died on July 2, be awarded the ORTT posthumously. However Mannings family declined the proposal, recalling that Manning had declined the proposal made in 2014 by then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to receive the ORTT. In response, Rowley said Government would be guided by the familys decision.
At the 2015 National Awards, then foreign affairs minister Winston Dookeran received the ORTT for his contribution in the sphere of economics.
Dookeran served as finance minister early in the tenure of the then Peoples Partnership government.
Then labour minister Errol McLeod also received the ORTT at that ceremony, for his contribution to labour.
In 2013, the ORTT was awarded to Chief Justice Ivor Archie, National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) Chief Servant Makandal Daaga and former Independent senator criminologist Professor Ramesh Deosaran. Daaga died on August 8.
Seven persons are listed to receive the countrys second highest award, the Chaconia Medal Gold.
Among them are former Tobago House of Assembly Minority Leader William McKenzie, former Civil Aviation Director Ramesh Lutchmedial and Petrotrin chairman Andrew Jupiter.
Calypsonians Timothy Baron Watkins and Irwin Scrunter Johnson are amongst the recipients of the Humming Bird Medal (Gold). Also receiving the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) is historian Angelo Bissessarsingh. Musical arranger Leston Paul is the lone recipient of the Chaconia Medal (Silver).
Journalist Angela Martin, who died earlier this month, will receive the Medal for the Development of Women (Gold) for her contribution to womens affairs. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232598.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/257a6b114b81d0fd2f7ff165605b98774bf0803c8f07e6f9d3a0e54fe1dde02d.json |
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President: Patriotism not selective
Wednesday, August 31 2016 PRESIDENT Anthony Carmona yesterday observed that our patriotism must neither be selective, convenient nor transient. It equally translates to our triumphs, as to our setbacks. No great nation was ever built on success alone. In his Independence Day message to the nation, the President said this is something which all citizens must understand at this time for critical reflection and introspection. He said, As a nation, we have hurdles to cross. The key is to recognise and confront them and galvanise the appropriate inclusive solutions. To fortify the celebration of our independence, we must display unstinting patriotism, even when the runner stumbles. The President explained that independence must not simply be a commemoration of the struggle for independence.
We honour that struggle by bridging the racial, political and religious divides that sometimes impede our true potential as a nation, he stated.
Carmona explained that to be truly independent means to unshackle ourselves from bondage, and added, It means, invariably, that critical, objective, impartial and informed judgment must be engaged at all times when assessing and tackling our national situations, problems and issues. The President that real genuine independence demands that our national dialogue and interactions have at the very core the language and acts of empathy, compassion and kindness to all manner of men, women and children, regardless of race, class, socio- economic status or religion. He urged that genuine inclusivity must therefore become an important feature of our daily lives. In the spirit of patriotism, Carmona said, we must salute our Rio 2016 athletes for their own representation and patriotism at the Games, for their grit, determination and heart.
Print | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232619.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/b7701f631340769dc4fdbdb522c42ee2cf4586c2e2c2feff564e5748bc0b05b7.json |
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3-car smash-up in Shaw Park
By Kinnesha George Sunday, August 28 2016
TRAFFIC came to a halt for several hours on Friday along the Shaw Park bypass in the vicinity of the Scarborough Secondary School and Tobago Baking Services as three vehicles collided.
According to a police report, at about 2.35 pm, first responders who were called out to the scene saw a black Nissan B13 driven by Malcom James, a white Nissan L200 Van driven by Kirton Winchester and a white Mazda BT 4X4, all involved in a collision.
One passenger identified only as Miss Thompson was trapped in the Nissan B13 and had to be extricated via use by firemen of the hydraulic cutting device commonly referred to as the Jaws of Life.
Based on initial observation, she suffered a fractured right leg and a severed finger on the right hand.
Thompson along with five other victims were transported to the Scarborough General Hospital for treatment.
Investigators were unable to ascertain the driver of the white Mazda BT 4X4 as it was reportedly parked and unoccupied at the time. Scarborough Police are continuing investigations | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232475.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/02dc517df8e7fa970ee037fefcd54966e3650342f3b193479568b17209f46fd9.json |
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Union in move to buy steel plant
By VERNE BURNETT Friday, August 26 2016
THE STEEL Workers Union of TT (SWUTT) is putting together a group of investors to buy the mothballed ArcelorMittal steel plant at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and resume operations.
President of the union, Christopher Henry, said yesterday the buyers would be shareholders, not owners, in the plant and it would make a wider range of products than were being manufactured under the ArcelorMittal management.
Henry said world steel prices have begun to rise slightly and there are at least three potential investors who are interested in buying the plant.
Henry said when the plan is fully developed, the union intends to meet with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to outline it. The SWUTT leader said that during a private meeting with Rowley about two months ago, the Prime Minister had asked that the union meet with him again when the plan was further advanced. Henry said Rowley had given the undertaking to support and champion the unions efforts if he was convinced its plan was workable.
So long as it is workable and we have a workable proposal, Henry said, adding that he believed it was viable because it would not involve any cost to the Government and it would diversify the steel industry because the union and its potential partner(s) wanted to make about four additional products to what were being made by ArcelorMittal, which would obviously mean more employment in the country and in the manufacturing sector. He said they were also planning to try to break into the Caricom and Latin American markets, which ArcelorMittal never attempted since it was focused on exporting its production to Europe.
Henry added that the membership of the union is eagerly looking forward to the restart of the plant because most of them are still unemployed and never received pension or severance benefits from ArcelorMittal, compounding their financial difficulties because no money coming in. Most of these people who are over 50 or close to 50 cannot get jobs because they are too old and most of them are over-qualified and all that that is what we are getting out there.
He said once a prospective employer discovered that the worker was coming from ArcelorMittal they would offer lower salaries than the norm for any job for which they were considered. If the job paying 10,000, they are offering five.
Henry said the union was doing all it could to assist its members, going on food drives and giving out hampers as well as collecting used schoolbooks to help those with school-aged children. He said there were also professionals providing counselling to those workers who needed it and lawyers giving legal advice free of charge. So were trying to work it as best as we can.
Meanwhile, the ArcelorMittal liquidator, attorney Christopher Kelshall, said he had managed to sell all the company properties which had been offered for sale but the liquidation was far from completed because he still had the task of selling the steel plant. He said he is currently concentrating on disposing of perishables in the plant, anything with a shelf life.
In addition to selling the plant, Kelshall said I have 200 cases in the courts one way or the other and until they are resolved, the liquidation is not finished.
Those cases relate to issues with the workers as well as commercial issues. Kelshall said there has been interest expressed in purchasing the plant, but how much of it is genuine I wont know for a while but yes, there is some interest and I believe there is genuine interest in it.
He said Mittal people had declared at the creditors meeting that the company owed US$280 million while its assets were worth US$70 million. He said this meant there was a significant deficit and I am obliged to get the best that I can for the creditors. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232385.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/639fe799193b76901174df985fbbd2301b4596f1ff0f92ccd3b54323606dbd9a.json |
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Let the PM judge me
KWAME WEEKES Saturday, August 27 2016
NATIONAL Security Minister Edmund Dillon yesterday refused to rate his performance as minister in the face of rampant crimes and a spiralling murder rate, saying that any appraisal of his performance must be done by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as head of the government and also as chairman of the National Security Council.
Pressed for a comment on this issue yesterday as he toured the Central crime hotspot of Enterprise in Chaguanas, Dillon said he will keep his personal thoughts on his performance as Minister to himself.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar called on Prime Minister Rowley to take personal responsibility for the National Security portfolio in the face of at least 420 murders committed since the September 5 General Election when the Peoples National Movement (PNM) was voted into office.
Asked by reporters how he rated his own performance as he nears the one year anniversary as Minister of National Security, Dillon said: I leave my performance to be rated by the Prime Minister and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
To me, it is an internal assessment I do and I continue to do every day. I leave it to myself. I rate myself and criticize myself more than anybody else. Regarding the 420 murders reportedly committed since the PNM assumed office, Dillon argued that it was important that murder is not looked at in terms of statistics.
We cant just deal with murder in terms of statistics because when you boil it down to a measure of statistics, it means that you lose the sense of caring and concern that would affect somebodys brother, somebodys sister, somebodys son, somebodys nephew who may have lost a loved one through crime. Dillon stated that he found it more important to focus on being concerned and finding solutions to the issue of crime.
Minister Dillon, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Rodney Smart, Deputy Commissioner of Police Wayne Dick, Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodath Dulalchan and other senior police personnel toured the Enterprise community. Dillon said the purpose of the tour was to liaise with the divisional commander on the ground to see for myself, to treat with any issues, any challenges, to get a chance to talk with the people from the area on a first hand basis what are the issues from their standpoint with respect to crime and criminality in the area. Asked why Enterprise was chosen out of all other communities, Dillon said that his walk-through Soogrim Trace earlier this year had positive effects and hoped the same could happen for Enterprise.
During the tour, Dillon said he supports the Police Service in dealing with crime and reiterated the role the police and a community plays in curbing crime in respective areas. This came two days after the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) made a call to the Prime Minister to make Divisional Commanders more accountable for crime in their area.
Dillon, reminded the media of a strategy that was adopted in April where Deputy Commissioners took a new responsibility over high risk regions across the nation to interact daily with the divisional commanders and advise them on how to deal with crime in those divisions.
Asked for practical examples for how exactly this strategy worked, Dillon referred to a change in the style of language used by Divisional Commanders recently that showed their sense of ownership for their areas. I think you would have seen conversations coming out where the divisional commanders are in fact saying in my division, I am taking charge of this and I am taking charge of that. You would have heard it quite recently...you are seeing the ownership being taken. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232429.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/f6191db3658ff961e89428b98448ab038bf56a9ad1fd803133119f99283d5daa.json |
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Secure pets tonight
By Cecily Asson Wednesday, August 31 2016
BURGESSES of the City of San Fernando are being urged to secure their dogs and other pets tonight to ensure their safety and comfort during a display of fireworks on San Fernando Hill.
In a release from the office of the Mayor of San Fernando, Alderman Kazim Hosein stated, Given that loud noises may be upsetting to animals, the mayor and members of Council (San Fernando City Council) urge citizens to secure their pets at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the display to ensure the safety and comfort of all our fourlegged family members.
The Council expresses sincere thanks to Petrotrin for its generous sponsorship, and to Firepower Fireworks for hosting the display.
Their contribution to the commemoration of Independence Day is truly demonstrative of their pride in our nation, and is a great example for all citizens of the spirit of volunteerism that makes up the lifeblood of the city of San Fernando.
The fireworks display begins at 8.30 pm in celebration of the nations 54th year of Independence | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232618.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/26153156a144f984b8f5c1a28039767da06ab695382483c2348f08cd8d65f80b.json |
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LEFTOVER CHINESE
By Andre Bagoo Tuesday, August 30 2016
click on pic to zoom in
EVERY day, at the end of work, they walk from the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) to their makeshift camp at the top of Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain.
Though construction of the multi-million-dollar arts facility ended since 2009, a group of about 20 workers are still being kept in the country to do work on the facility, which is now closed and, according to State-commissioned reports, dogged with safety hazards.
These workers, whom locals say are often seen strolling home in single file at 5 pm each day, also reportedly do work on the Couva Childrens Hospital, another facility which was ostensibly completed years ago.
The workers live isolated lives.
Their daily walk is probably the furthest they get from their living quarters. The camp that houses them is not far from the Port-of- Spain jail and is next to the Living Water Community where refugees may seek asylum and where people such as President Anthony Carmona sometimes go to pray.
The camp, which is located behind the headquarters of SCG International (Caribbean) Ltd at Keate Street (which adjoins Charlotte Street) is enclosed by tall concrete walls, galvanise and barbed wire. Overgrown with vines, one gets an impression from the outside conditions inside might be unpromising. According to officials of the company that built both NAPA and the hospital, a limited number of Chinese nationals have been kept behind in TT in order to service a 365-day defect period in relation to the hospital, which is miles away. But these workers also work on the NAPA, said Michael Zhang, director of SCG.
We keep a limited amount of workers for the training hospital for the defect period, Zhang confirmed yesterday in broken English.
Also they do some repairs at NAPA. They are leaving now. (The Couva Childrens Hospital is meant to be a multi-training facility, according to Udecott, the project manager.) Asked how many workers were still in the country, Zhang declined to provide a number, saying, Not very many. SCG formerly SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd has a controversial record in relation to the conditions of employment for its workers.
The company, which has been selected by the Chinese Government for projects tied to secret state-tostate arrangements between TT and China, has faced allegations of human trafficking involving asymmetrical power relations with employees, most of whom do not speak English. SCG officials have in the past confirmed the company has withheld wages in order to guarantee good behaviour.
In the period 2007 to 2009 there were a series of protests by Chinese workers over working conditions.
SCG is owned in part by Zhang and another company, SCG (America) Company Ltd, which has an address registered in California.
With continued concern over the state of NAPA, Minister of Community Development and Culture Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly is this morning due to take a tour of the facility. She is likely to address the extent of remedial work needed.
Gadsby-Dolly will not be the first minister to do so. From the moment the facility opened in 2009, the then minister of culture Marlene Mc Donald confirmed millions more had to be spent on repairs. Things continued in this vein under Dr Lincoln Douglas, the minister of arts of multiculturalism during the next administration.
According to a structural report commissioned by the State in 2014, there are numerous defects at the site which impact on the life safety of the occupants. Yet, the building was used by the State when former Prime Minister Patrick Manning died in July. His casket lay in a foyer for hundreds of mourners to view.
The 2015 BBFL (Caribbean Limited) report states the majority of the defects are associated with the non-structural components and structural steel connections. Welds did not meet the requirements of the American Welding Society.
The end users of the facility, particularly within the theatre division, have described several serviceability defects which, according to their reports, have caused health and safety concerns, says the report commissioned by what was then the Ministry of Multiculturalism.
There have also been reports on defects causing injuries, such as the excessive deflection of the stage which produced (effects) causing an artist to trip while performing.
These defects should not be discarded as minor as it affects the health and safety of all staff using the facility. A long list of remedial work is itemised. Among the flaws is one instance where a block with a hole was used as a weight to stabilise a pipe (dangerous), as well as a questionable drainage (dangerous during rainfall).
However, the people drawing up this report disclosed there were crucial gaps in documentation in relation to it. Over the years, the extent of the problems seems to have been subject to a game of Chinese whispers. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232550.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/4ece242c9bc4b3a43f62a673b6f8c25f56549db3fa4c5c007d20c35ce8b5b03a.json |
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Jolly husband kills wife, then commits suicide
By Darcel Choy Monday, August 29 2016
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Residents of the quiet neighbourhood in Beaulieu Gardens, Trincity were yesterday horrified to learn that a murder was committed in their area.
According to reports, 57-yearold Edric Blackburn shot and killed his wife, Rosemary, 55, in a bathroom at their home at 3rd Street West, Beaulieu, Trincity, just before 10 am yesterday. A few minutes later, Blackburn left and drove a short distance from their home to Millenium Park, Trincity where he killed himself.
Police said the couples two children were in the home when the incident occurred. They believe Blackburn, a former TSTT employee used his licensed firearm to kill himself and his wife.
When Newsday visited the area yesterday, many neighbours expressed shock over the incident.
One woman described the community as a close knit one.
Everybody was close here, so for something like this to happen, is really shocking, she said.
Another man recalled speaking to Blackburn a few minutes before the incident occurred.
He drove into the street, saw me and was his usual jolly self.
He give me a bounce. I told him I was going to wash my car and he told me he would come back and check me. A few minutes later, the neighbour told me Ed just shoot his wife. I couldnt believe it because I had just spoken to the man, he said.
The man described Blackburn as a well mannered and joyous person. Im really sad about the whole situation. We were really close. As soon as I heard what happened I could not function. I couldnt do anything for the rest of the day, he said.
He told Newsday, neighbours were not aware whether the couple were having marital problems.
No one ever really heard them quarreling, whatever problems they might have had, he kept it to himself, he said. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232515.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/05f198266fcb37894f72783eae83a1a77b989d8b79a2bd8a92ff0947807e425b.json |
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La Romaine crime spike blamed on drug turf war
By Cecily Asson Tuesday, August 30 2016
THE fight for turf control in La Romaine is being blamed for the recent upsurge in gun violence in a community that, only last Thursday, bade farewell to nine-year-old Cyon Paul, who was gunned down a short distance from his home on Byron Street. Police believe he was fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident at a nearby bar. When Paul met his death on the night of August 19, the youngster was on his way to buy hot dogs.
Police are working on information that the regular gun play is as a result of a known criminal gang from San Fernando now slowly moving in to certain areas in La Romaine in an attempt to take over their blocks. On Saturday, a mobile police unit was installed at the corner of Potato Trace, La Romaine as officers of the Southern Division grapple with the increase in shootings and woundings in the area. Police said except for the murder of Adrian Paul, 29, on Friday night, considered unrelated to the ongoing warfare, the area was very quiet over the weekend.
A senior officer told Newsday yesterday, Over the weekend, La Romaine was like a ghost town.
Nobody was liming on the main road as usually happens. We had a murder in the community but it was not in that zone and that death was over a man leaning on a next mans car. The officer said although businessmen welcomed the presence of a mobile unit in the area, they are complaining about the drop in sales. Yesterday a 40-year-old man appeared before a San Fernando Magistrate on six gun related charges. He was one of six persons detained last week following Pauls murder. Police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with Pauls killing even as the search continues for the person who shot and killed Brown who lived at Phyllis Street, La Romaine.
A visually impaired man, who was at the bar when Paul was killed, has since distanced himself from the shooting incident. The 35 year old PH driver has now going into hiding for fear of his own life saying that persons believe he knows the person who pulled the trigger | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232551.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/c6e629e799e285d4fa4dc2c1734266f1800f0384139f25edbeeb24b42bd8db51.json |
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Fishermen: $1M not enough
Saturday, August 27 2016
FISHERFOLK from various fishing villages along the Gulf Coast and south-western peninsular do not believe that the $1 million assistance promised by government could adequately assist all those affected by the drastic decrease in fish sales caused by fears of pollution- laden seafood following a major fishkill in the Gulf of Paria.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced during the weekly post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday that Cabinet has approved and instructed the Ministry of Finance to, find a sum of $1 million to offer to fisherfolk from affected areas.
Dead fish had started appearing on July 21 in Mosquito Creek and Coffee Beach in La Brea.
However, fisherfolk from Claxton Bay, Orange Valley and as far removed as Mayaro claim that they too were and continue to be affected as conflicting reports about the safety of their fish keep customers away from their stalls.
Andy Hosein, Vice President of the Orange Valley Fishing Association, claims that the Orange Valley fishing depot is the largest depot in the Caribbean where fish from all over Trinidad and Tobago, including the affected areas, is sold.
Fish from La Brea does come in we depot to sell and we not getting anything? Hosein owns a 32ft pirogue staffed by eight workers. A member of the Brickfield Fishing Association does not believe the $1m would be enough for all involved.
1 million is a thousand thousands, right? That means if it have 1,000 workers, each of them getting $1,000? There are more than 1,000 fisherfolks in La Brea and Otaheite alone. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232430.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/1073ea0c51bb1ca9efd172d1b6c61444e4ade38591024f5218b771a5c476a709.json |
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LAPTOP-LESS
By SEAN DOUGLAS Saturday, August 27 2016
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PUPILS who enter secondary school, for the first time as First Formers in the new term in September, will not be given a personal laptop as was the case when the Peoples Partnership (PP) was in power. Instead, each school will receive 100 laptops which will stay on-site for use equally by all students of Forms I and II, Education Minister Anthony Garcia revealed yesterday at a news briefing at his St Clair-based Ministry.
Students will not be given personal laptops, Garcia said. Laptops will be the property of the school. Fifty laptops will be for a schools Form I pool of student while 50 will be for the Form II pool, the minister explained. Some 12,600 laptops will be supplied in the new term but will be the property of the schools, at a cost of $63 million, compared to an annual cost of $253 million by the PP to outfit every First Form student with his/her personal laptop.
Chief Education Officer Harrilall Harricharan said the laptops will each cost about $2,400, compared to $2,500 to $4,100 cost per laptop, over the previous five years. Otherwise, Garcia promised no reduction in the Governments provision of free school meals. Based on his introductory remarks that the meals are for those in need of assistance, Newsday asked if there will be any cuts in the National School Feeding Programme, to which Garcia declared, No, no, no! Stacy Barran, of the National School Feeding Programme, said the provision of 90,000 lunches and 58,000 breakfast meals will continue, but to try to incorporate more local foodstuffs, working with the Ministry of Agriculture.
She cited breadfruit, cassava and watermelon. Asked if local foodstuffs are more costly than imports, she said costs can be kept down by bulk-buying. She said the Programme constantly monitors if pupils are actually eating the meals supplied, and gave an example of a tasty local dish as cassava muffins.
Apart from laptops and meals, Garcia declined to take questions on pressing matters such as the status of school repairs and school readiness for the new school term which is a little over a week away.
In brief remarks after the press conference, Garcia said sewer repairs are ongoing at the nations schools, there is yet no change in the Governments closure of GATE to persons over 50 years of age and no change in the States provision of textbooks to schools, but a ten percent top-up in supplies at most forms in primary and secondary schools but 100 percent replacement at Infant level.
Garcia justified the cutback in laptops by lamenting on the colossal waste and a need to get value for money, as he alluded to pupil misuse of laptops to play games instead of studying. He bemoaned a lack of backup for the laptops including teacher training and Internet access at schools. He said Harricharan had run a study to assess the effectiveness of laptop use, especially to meet this Governments policy of infusing ICT into the school curriculum and exposing all pupils to ICT.
Garcia said the study found problems arising from the former PP regimes alleged lack of an ICT Policy, citing one pupil saying that a lack of Internet access had led pupils to use the laptops mainly to play games and record school fights. He said the provision of one laptop per pupil was found to be counter productive as it led to no increase in student performance in core subject-areas.
Garcia detailed the deficiencies in laptop use found by the Ministrys study. The study found no ICT Policy including a lack of monitoring and evaluation, poor governance structure and management of the programme, poor backup infrastructure in schools, limited Internet access, lack of training of teachers to integrate ICT into the school curriculum, insufficient laptops for teachers and poor quality of laptops. Garcia revealed his Five Point Plan to remedy these shortfalls. This includes an ICT in Education Policy including cyber- bullying and social media policy, establishment of governance structures to monitor laptop use, an ICT Training Plan for teachers and educators, curriculum reform to support ICT infusion and provision of ICT infrastructure and equipment including Internet access and ICT labs. Harricharan the Central Tenders Board will do an open tender to acquire the items.
He said the Ministry has upgraded the specs/specifications of the laptops, so as to buy items of better quality than before. Monitoring and support are also being upgraded, he added. Asked if the schools could secure the new laptops, he said the Ministry will work with them, such as by provision of charging-cards to remedy past problems of schools having no charging facilities. Harricharan said most teachers are computer literate but they need training in how to infuse ICT into the curriculum, such as could be provided by working with the Commonwealth of Learning.
Former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh yesterday responded to the laptop decrease saying the policy change will deprive 36,000 pupils (Forms One and Two) of personal laptops and is a betrayal of the populations trust.
All secondary schools and some 300 primary already have computer labs, said Gopeesingh. So giving them these laptops is only to deceive the country when in fact this Government is reneging on its election promise. The Government should hold its head in shame. He criticised Garcia for reducing the supply of school textbooks, stopping the Homework Centre programme, removing coursework from the SEA Exam and stopping 60 school construction projects which commenced under the former PP regime. They are spiting the students. Nothing has been done in the country in the past year in any Ministry. The people are suffering, Gopeesingh said. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232427.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/e0681ba9745dfa160dd4223c956d1fad30e122a8c79a165c183fc51d72fe8d16.json |
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Duke falls ill on PSA prayer and fast
TENISHA SYLVESTER Tuesday, August 30 2016
THE Public Service Associations (PSA) fast and spiritual cleansing got off to a turbulent start yesterday as PSA president, Watson Duke was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital by ambulance after he complained of stomach pains while at the Brian Lara Promenade.
In a telephone interview, PSAs first vice president, Christopher Joefield said, Mr Duke began the prayer and fast this morning and at around 6.30 am he was complaining about stomach pain. We called the ambulance. The day began with a prayer by Chairman of the PSA branch of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex/NWRHA, Keith Bailey who said today is a reflection on the fact that God is in charge. PSA members with placards sat silently, adamant on being paid their outstanding arrears by the government.
Mwata Kobie, a retired monthly paid clerical worker of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) said retired monthly paid workers have been waiting since 2007 for their HDC pension plan to be paid. PSA representatives from The Agricultural Development Bank were also present. Vice Chairman of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) branch, Louis Jordan told Newsday We are here braving the weather because of outstanding arrears since 2011, money was approved by the Cabinet but why are we still not paid? | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232566.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/4d403a461ce1a5dcb26f11e49604842bb8a089f61370659d83c2079f9119f27f.json |
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Killed for leaning on car
SOUTH BUREAU Sunday, August 28 2016
THE countrys latest murder, which took place during the early morning hours yesterday was as a result of the victim leaning on somebody elses car, police said.
Dead is 29-year-old Adrian Brown of La Romaine who was shot following an altercation over a car on which he was leaning. Ironically it was not the owner of the car who shot Brown but another man who intervened in the quarrel.
The killer is said to have dealt Brown a blow to his head with his gun butt and then fired a shot at him at close range, killing him on the spot.
According to police reports at 1.45 am yesterday, Brown of Phyllis Street in La Romaine was leaning on a car which was parked on the roadway close to Turning Point Bar in La Romaine.
Reports state there was an altercation between the owner of the vehicle and Brown, and a third man who was looking on intervened by hitting Brown on the head with a gun butt.
Police say the killer then fired a single shot at Brown, who slumpd to the ground and bled to death. The killer then fled the scene.
Police officers from the Homicide Investigations Bureau Region Three along with ASP Ramdeo and Insp Don Gajadhar and other officers from the Southern Division Task Force visited the scene. Police say they are yet to make an arrest but are working on certain leads on Browns murder as well as that of nineyear- old Cyon Paul who was killed by a stray bullet while on his way to purchase hot dogs a short distance away from his Byron Street, La Romaine home two Fridays ago. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232465.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/9a948cc9117b5ce79243ba1ed79192b1a60808e2e41456aafcf42247171fad50.json |
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Walk to honour social workers
By CAROL MATROO Saturday, August 27 2016
EARL DANIEL plans to walk around the Queens Park Savannah for three days, nonstop, without sleep, to raise awareness of the importance of the work done by social workers.
Originally from St Vincent but living for the past 27 years in Canada with his wife and three children, Daniel said he is a social worker and was invited to Trinidad to spearhead efforts in sensitising people to the worth of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Social Workers.
I am just here to set the platform to get the attention of the entire country. I am going to walk for three days around the Queens Park Savannah non stop without sleeping. The association would send the message out as to why it is being done, he told Newsday yesterday, as he prepared for the start of his walk from the Brian Lara Promenade, along Frederick Street, to the QPS. Daniel was expected to have police escort during his walk.
This was not the first walk of this kind for Daniel as he has walked for eight days non stop in 2008. I have walked from Montreal to Brooklyn, New York. I have walked around many Caribbean countries. I have attempted to break the world record for the longest walk and next year I am going to walk across Canada from west to east. Then I would sleep about three hours a day, and that would take about three to four months, he said.
Daniel said his walks have not been in vain as he has walked for causes such as suicide, cancer, diabetes, hypertension.
So yes, it is very impacting because the more we can do let people know what is happening with lifestyle diseases, I think every step we take is very worthwhile, he said. Daniel said he always prepared one year in advance for any walk with hydration, physical training and mental preparation.
You dont just get up tomorrow and say Im going to walk for ten days. Medical doctors have said it cannot be done for a human being to walk for six or seven days without sleeping and still be with us, but I have proven with good mental control and mind power and synchronise your physical attributes, as well as your spirit, you can achieve anything, he said. Daniel said he ensured that he received medical check-ups regularly, and ensured that he was rehydrated after each walk.
He added that the support of his family, which was 100 per cent, was essential. It is important to have the family support, it is very crucial to have your mind be settled. If you dont have that, its like you are imbalanced, he said. Vice president of the TTASW, Sharon Francis-Gaines, said the purpose of the awareness walk was to raise a community, as well as a national consciousness, of the values and contributions made social workers in TT.
Francis-Gaines said they needed to improve the system of delivery they provided. We recognise that we receive clients from every spectrum of society from the very rich to the very poor. A client may be someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes who would have had a healthy lifestyle and they realise that they have been diagnosed, and that may have a rippling effect on the family and eventually become a client, she said.
Francis-Gaines said social workers saw clients who were differently abled, had gone through various types of abuse--physical, emotional, sexual.
Because of that we recognise that in TT one of the things that need to occur is that we need to have a coordinated approach to services.
We are trying to get legislation in place so that policy would speak to the aspect to us having a licence. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232445.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/8ea25db2d8f6cea336448cde52ff621b43f0f13e2dca5d202146a717a9fea3bf.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-28T08:50:39 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232473.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Involve more youth in decision-making
Sunday, August 28 2016
A CALL was made at a major youth forum yesterday for the authorities to engage more young people in national decision-making.
The appeal came from Nikoli Edwards, Vice Chairperson - Policy, Advocacy and Projects, Commonwealth Youth Programme, as he delivered the keynote address a the start of the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Convention at the Centre of excellence, Macoya, yesterday. The convention was organised by the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Tobago Youth Council and Trinidad Youth Council.
How can you make decisions when you not have the majority of stakeholders properly represented, Edwards queried. Joining labours call that at least one young person should be appointed on every State board in TT, Edwards said he was offended that only one young person was represented on the Government Assisted Tuition Expenses (GATE) programmes Task Force to review the programme.
On the issue of crime and security, he said that young people were the greatest perpetrators of crime in todays society, and were also the largest grouping of victims of crime and violence.
Government can recruit more police officers, put more police vehicles on the road, give police officers more guns but they would not get the solutions they are looking for if they do not engage young people and put them in charge of finding solutions for the issues facing them.
Touching on youth and education, Edwards said, it was not simply about GATE and tertiary education, but also about non-traditional education. Noting that not everyone has the capacity to take in a tertiary education for three years or more, Edwards said that for those who work with their hands, excel at sports, designing, culture and the arts, provision should be made for them to succeed and to not be seen as second class to those with a bachelors, masters or a doctorate.
Some of the most brilliant minds never went to university.
What you have on paper does not determine who you are as an individual, he said.
Commenting on the issue of employment, he noted that hundreds of people are losing their jobs, and that calls for a rethinking of how to approach the job market. Government, he said, needs to cut down on the bureaucracy to make it easier to establish a non-governmental organisation or a business, especially for young people. It should be a lot less headache for young people who want to make an honest dollar, he said.
Edwards said that the convention was meant to bring together young people who have something to offer society and who believe they have solutions to many of the problems facing the nation. The convention report, Edwards said, will detail concerns, queries and suggestions, and will be made public.
Copies will be given to Government and the private sector, he said. He urged that young people do not wait on the authorities to implement their ideas, but mobilise and come together to take advantage of available opportunities.
Meanwhile from comments made at the same forum by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, Joan Mendez, that Ministry is optimistic that in the next fiscal year some projects will be come to fruition including the establishment of the national youth council and a youth leadership development institute, who delivered remarks on behalf of her Minister at the event.
Noting that the current fiscal year has been challenging because of the economic situation, Mendez said, We have impressed upon the Ministry of Finance the rationale and purpose of our MPI (Multidimensional Poverty Index) goals which is to help marginalised and at-risk communities. We hope we get adequate funding to assist our various youth organisations. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232473.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/3e43e514d1e4ed25c7bbd21e6b75dc41f0bd3124399c83e53195dd926b77ef2c.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-27T08:50:03 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232428.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Send us to jail, please
By LAUREL V WILLIAMS Saturday, August 27 2016
TWO street dwellers yesterday begged a magistrate to be guests of the State when they appeared before her in the San Fernando courthouse to answer a charge of robbery.
The two said they would be better served if they were behind bars. Terry Mohammed, 53, and Satnarine Baldeo, 44, both pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John to the charge of robbery with violence.
M o h a m m e d , through his attorney Frank Gittens, cited an ongoing battle with substance abuse which was responsible for his deviant action.
Mohammed added that he has been living on the streets for the past five years.
He is homeless and has no family. I am instructed that my client has a history of substance abuse. He said he made the unfortunate decision (to commit the act) at a desperate time. He says he wants to serve a short time (in prison) to stay away from substance abuse. He cannot pay a fine, Gittens told the court, as Mohammed wiped away tears.
Likewise Baldeo, via the same attorney, suggested to Magistrate Forde-John that State accommodation will be best at this time.
Baldeo apologised for the crime and noted that he has relatives in Broadway, San Fernando, but had been living on the streets for the past five months.
Mohammed and Baldeo together with another person, armed with a knife, are said to have robbed a pedestrian, Premnath Amarsingh along Harris Promenade, San Fernando on July 15.
Amarsingh, the court heard, was robbed his of a gold bera (jewelry worn on the wrist), a cheque, a cellular phone, cash and other personal items together valued $2,381.
Court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan, in relating the facts of the matter, said that Amarsingh was walking along the promenade when he was accosted and robbed by three men.
A report was made at the San Fernando CID and Constable Mohess subsequently investigated, apprehended Mohammed and Baldeo and the laid the charge.
Defence attorney Gittens told the magistrate yesterday that both his clients were remorseful. Magistrate Forde-John sentenced both men to nine months in prison.
Mohammed and Baldeo made their first court appearance on July 18 for the crime but Magistrate Forde- John then denied them bail and remanded both to the St Anns Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232428.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/3839157c871d04df24267eea3fa5a15786b73a3e37d4f22f88b6f6a26e434486.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-31T08:52:40 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232597.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | A d v e r t i s e m e n t
NAPA safe to occupy
By SEAN DOUGLAS Wednesday, August 31 2016
AFTER $20 million spent in repairs, the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of-Spain, is now safe to occupy, with activities expected to resume soon, reporters learnt during a tour led by Udecott chairman, Noel Garcia, and Minister of Community Development, Dr Nyan Gadsby Dolly.
Garcia told Newsday yesterday that the Ministry of Works has certified the structure as earthquake- resistant, as specified by world standards.
Gadsby-Dolly said $20 million in repair costs will be paid by both Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) (for inherent defects) and the Government (for damage due to lack of maintenance).
She could not offhand state the ratio in which the $20 million cost will be split. However she revealed that before NAPA could be up and running, some $10 million must be spent to replace equipment such as musical instruments, lighting and sound-system which had been lent out to other cultural bodies (such as Queens Hall and NAPA, San Fernando) in the interim while NAPA was under repair. They have been using the equipment, so we dont want to now deprive them. She anticipated something by December, later suggesting a grand reopening celebration hosted by UTT and NAPA.
Gadsby-Dolly said she has been assured by SCG, Udecott and the Ministry of Works as to the structural integrity of NAPA, most critically the upgrade of bolts and welds, with just routine cosmetic works left to do.
She said the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) has been asked to bring back their students to NAPA, saying, So the building, formally at this point in time, is ready for use. She said a number of non-structure issues will be picked up during routine surveillance.
There are things that need to be done but nothing that would hinder the use of the building. Garcia later told Newsday the key repairs were installation of 5,980 bolts and the upgrade of several hundred defective welds. He read to Newsday a Ministry of Works report to give full details of the repairs, that is, testing and corrective works.
This including a testing for asbestos for which none was found.
Other works were to reinforce non-structural walls, improve acoustic ceiling supports, retrofit 190 timber joists on stage, retrofit concrete columns in the foundation area, re-weld 650 defective welds under the stage and 272 defective welds in the hangers and catwalk support beams, test welds at critical places in the entire structure. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232597.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/67a7f44a8aa396da9ba24cb75917d00da825059f5aeea1e89420dac7b3ce078a.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-30T08:51:41 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232553.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Birdsong in the cold
ANA-LISSA JACK Tuesday, August 30 2016
TEARS flowed at the corner of Connell and St. Vincent Streets in Tunapuna yesterday morning as students stood by and watched as birdsong Music Academy was formally evicted from their home of 28 years.
At about 6.30 am yesterday, workmen under the supervision of a High Court marshal and police officers, constructed a fence and placed No Trespassing signs around the premises.
Parents and birdsong employees, dragged pans, benches and other equipment out of the structure into the yards and homes of neighbours.
Students arrived at the premises for regular practice and were distraught at what they witnessed. Many broke down in tears as they saw their home away from home being stripped.
Keith Diaz, PanTrinbagos President, begged the country to look at the bigger picture. He said demolishing birdsong is the same as disabling the steelband movement.
It is an attack on culture and youth, Diaz said. He told reporters that the programme has helped to curb gang violence and keep many young persons out of negative situations. Diaz further reiterated that the eviction showed that the country has no regard for its own national instrument and culture. Other countries are taking pan and doing amazing things with it, but in Trinidad and Tobago, we dont care about our own pan movement. He made a call to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, begging him to listen to the cries of birdsong.
In spite of the situation, Nyol Manswell, a blind past pupil and tutor, said, They can tear down the building, but they cant break our spirits. The music will go on. Victoria Guevara, past student and now tutor, shared her disappointment as the national instrument was made homeless so close to Independence day. The government needs to get involved. If I could speak to the prime minister, I would tell him shame on you for not getting involved. Sachelle Thomas, a student asked, where else in the world would you see someone destroying education just to make more money. In 2011, birdsong Enterprises (bEnt) was formed to provide a form of income generation and employment for members of the steelband. bEnt has been participating in the Community- Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) since then.
Due to the eviction, many are unsure of their future in the programme. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232553.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/4a464492a3085bc81d9320375eb1ed60a465049479f45fe9e4d8929e07dd1ee2.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-28T08:50:48 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232467.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Flooding in the City
Sarika Bhageratty NYLO Intern Sunday, August 28 2016
The hustle and bustle in town came to an abrupt halt yesterday as some of the streets of downtown Port-of-Spain were overrun by flooding, cutting off access to some areas and transportation hubs. Around 11 am, the southern end of the capital experienced torrential rainfall lasting for about three hours.
Independence Square South and St Vincent Street were blanketed with water which spread westwards until Wrightson Road.
The high water levels made it nearly impossible for most vehicles, other than high-sitting trucks, to pass through. This forced driver to detour onto Abercromby Street, creating traffic congestion around Independence Square as lines of cars tried to avoid the water. At the southern end of Chacon Street, a lone car was submerged in the high level of water that continued to pour onto Independence Square South.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, the rainfall began at about 10:30 yesterday morning, and as the weather system moved west over the country, other regions, such as Piarco and Penal, were affected.
The severe weather conditions were the result of a surface trough, or an area of low atmospheric pressure, coupled with high daytime heating reaching 34 degrees Celsius.
At South Key, a typically busy area, the roads were almost completely bare of vehicles heading eastwards. Cars struggled to pass the intersection leading to the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway as pedestrians were scattering about in the roads, unable to utilise the sidewalks covered in water from the overflowing canals. Two vehicles entering Port-of-Spain from the east were stagnant at a traffic light as the driver of the first car continuously attempted to restart his vehicle that shut off due to overwhelming amount of water surrounding it.
I want to go by the bus terminus but I cant even get by the bus terminus, a passerby stated as she crossed the intersection along with others attempting to access transportation in City Gate.
Other pedestrians, some hugging their children against their bodies and others raising their shopping bags above the water, clinged to the sides of buildings and sought shelter to avoid the continuous rainfall.
Dozens of individuals were huddled at street corners waiting for the water to subside so they could depart.
One pedestrian stated that she had been waiting on Broadway Street for over an hour and was unable to access her vehicle in a car park that was completely inaccessible due to the large volume of water that prevented mobility of any kind. In order to access transportation, travellers weaved in and out of the standstill traffic at the intersection and avoided the river of water that continued to spill onto the sidewalks on Broadway Street, forcing people to retreat into buildings or trek into the water.
Regarding other affected areas in the vicinity, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, Dr Stephen Ramroop, identified Tragarete Road, Cocorite, and Carenage as being flooded and stated that the rainfall resulted in fallen trees on the Northcoast Road. Firefighters and personnel from the Ministry of Works and Transport were said to be at the scene.
While touring her area, Chairperson for the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, Katty-Ann Christopher, stated that although Carenage experienced high levels of rainfall, the water was subsiding and there were no reports of flooding in the region, but the Disaster Management Unit response team was on standby. She added that there were no significant consequences of the rainfall and attributed this to the cleaning of the water courses in the region by the corporation, which has been taking place over the past two months. Similarly, Chairperson for the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, Edwin Gooding, stated that he received no reports of flooding or disasters in his area. | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232467.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/b330f3d468f81b541478fcfb9622cdccb71ff7f58725d240cb03990968be648f.json |
[
"Agile Telecom Ltd."
] | 2016-08-28T08:50:47 | null | null | Portal of Trinidad and Tobago with always fresh news on sport, business, culture and entertainment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsday.co.tt%2Fnews%2F0%2C232464.html.json | http://www.newsday.co.tt/favicon.ico | en | null | Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : | null | null | www.newsday.co.tt | Search for: on this site in news in business in sport in classifieds A d v e r t i s e m e n t
CHECK YOURSELF
By MIRANDA LA ROSE Sunday, August 28 2016 click on pic to zoom in MEN, CHECK YOURSELF. Your life could very well depend on it.
This was the advice given by urologist Dr Lester Goetz who sounded an alarm over the high mortality rate of 38 percent of all men who are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer - a silent killer which was recently thrust into the public spotlight by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
What may not be well known is the fact that Prostate Cancer accounts for 20.5 percent of all cancers reported in Trinidad and Tobago and is the leading cause of mortality among men, with 63.1 percent prostate cancer cases being high risk of dying, said Dr Goetz. Urging men to get themselves tested from as early as 40 years, he said, If you look at data of world studies on cancer, you will find that we are among the top three countries in the world in terms of mortality per population when it comes to prostate cancer. In an interview with Sunday Newsday, Geotz said that prostate cancer is the leading cause of mortality among men in TT accounting for 38 percent, followed by breast cancer among women which accounts for 15 percent of all cancers. This newspaper was unable to confirm the statistics with the Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry but an official confirmed that prostate cancer was the number one cause of death among men.
Welcoming Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowleys remarks urging men not to be too macho and get tested and raising public awareness on the issue, Goetz said that in TT most patients are high risk. This means that the cancer has left the prostate and spread to the bones and lymph nodes. You dont want it to spread. It is preventable if we can catch patients much earlier before they reach an advance stage. he said.
The Department of Urology, San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) latest study and publication on Advances in Urology authored by Ian Hosein, Rajendra Sukraj, Lester Goetz, Natassia Rambarran, and Satyendra Persaud, Goetz noted, found that 63.1 percent of prostate cancer patients in TT are high risk meaning that they come too late for tests and treatment. The study, which encapsulates a catchment area of 600,000 - about half the countrys population - found that 72 percent of the patients were of African origin.
It also found, he said, that Afro-Trinidadians presented at a higher risk, a higher Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA), and a greater speed at which the rate of cancer grows, more than any others.
We think it may be genetic, he said noting that each year, we are discovering a lot of genes that is responsible for prostate cancer. He said that 57.8 percent of those who had biopsies done at SFGH were found to have prostate cancer.
To contain the spread of cancer, he said, men are encouraged to do the PSA blood test and the Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) to pick up any signs of cancer before they experience any symptom.
The PSA will warn if there is a cancer in the system, and if so, a biopsy will then be conducted.
If the cancer is caught early, Goetz said, there is a potential cure, and 80 percent will live and may not even die from their prostate.
Noting there was a big difference in life expectancy due to testing, Goetz said, People who we treated 25 over years ago are living because we caught them very early. There are people who come late and they only live for two years. He continued, We have patients who come to us bedridden.
When we ask what happen, they say they just stop walking. When we check, their legs are not moving because the cancer has left the prostate, moved to the backbone and compress the nerves going down to the legs so they become paralysed. Nobody wants to see a patient at that stage. They want to catch the cancer long before that and stop it from spreading. Because TTs has a large African and mixed population, Goetz said, We recommend that men from 40 years examine their prostate and do the blood test every year and thereafter once a year. Dont wait until you have a complaint, he warned. The examination, he said, lasts a few seconds and was not painful. It is just an unnecessary fear, he said. Many men get tested on their own, some wives take their husbands for testing, some because they have reached the age of testing, and others because they have relatives with prostate cancer.
In relation to screening, Goetz said that at present it is not recommended internationally. However, he noted that previously Dr Allan Patrick, a senior urologist had done a lot of research in Tobago where he also had a screening programme going on for years. Data collected on that programme, he said, showed a significant amount of prostate cancer in Tobago. The guidelines have changed since then, he said, and we now appeal to people to get tested. It is a very serious. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society provides both the DRE and PSA testing at its 62 Rosalino Street, Woodbrook clinic.
Screening is offered at subsidised prices in a bid to make cancer screening affordable to the public.
Persons interested in making an appointment may call the society toll free at 800-TTCS (8827).
The prostate is a part of the male reproductive system, which includes the penis, prostate and testicles. It is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). It produces fluid that makes up a part of semen.
Some symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination, especially at night, difficulty emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that does not go away, and painful ejaculation.
Print | http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,232464.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.newsday.co.tt/dad97994732fd8dc8947cfb101b1382cba0a0ee42d3d92793a20b33be18e5bd0.json |
[
"Visualizar Meu Perfil Completo",
"Postado Por"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:07 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gazetadascidades.com.br%2F2016%2F04%2Flava-jato-versus-impeachment.html.json | en | null | LAVA-JATO VERSUS IMPEACHMENT | null | null | www.gazetadascidades.com.br | null | http://www.gazetadascidades.com.br/2016/04/lava-jato-versus-impeachment.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.gazetadascidades.com.br/03f6da6c9649c8207b6895c0f2ae459c5008da2ce4c46c75b8f75b66aff7393d.json | |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:48:31 | null | 2016-03-11T15:49:14 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chomedeynews.ca%2F%3Fp%3D1.json | http://www.chomedeynews.ca/?p=1 | en | null | Laval News Test | null | null | www.chomedeynews.ca | Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! | http://www.chomedeynews.ca/?p=1 | en | 2016-03-11T00:00:00 | www.chomedeynews.ca/7330736d6825c22e93924dfaf33f77a87ad858d1c782f5126218b59fee9231b6.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:18 | null | 2016-08-24T12:51:00 | A Phoenix man tells New Times how he and his four-year-old nephew narrowly escaped being killed in their car by the Serial Street Shooter who has... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fa-bullet-hole-and-a-miracle-local-driver-tells-of-his-close-call-with-phoenixs-serial-street-shooter-8576075.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8582280/hole-bullet-1.jpg | en | null | Phoenix Man Describes Harrowing Close Call With Serial Street Shooter | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND The exit hole made by a bullet that passed through a Phoenix resident's car. Police have linked the shooting to the serial killer who has terrorized west Phoenix since March. Ray Stern
The Phoenix man who narrowly escaped being killed in July by the Serial Street Shooter doesn't want his identity revealed.
"I'm just an ordinary young man who experienced an extraordinary miracle," he says with a grin.
He may be right about that. On July 11, the unknown assailant, who appears to choose his victims at random, riddled the man's car with bullets at point-blank range in a quiet neighborhood near 30th Street and Thomas Road. One bullet whizzed past the man's 4-year-old nephew, who was in the passenger seat, before leaving a ragged exit hole on the outside of the door.
Neither of the car's occupants was hurt.
The killer, whom authorities have dubbed the Serial Street Shooter, has terrorized Phoenix since March, killing seven people and wounding two others.
Though the suspect is also known as the Maryvale Serial Killer, owing to the fact that five of his victims were shot in that area of west Phoenix, police want to remind the public that he could attack anywhere.
"I have been trying to explain since the early on that this is not limited to Maryvale," Sergeant Jonathan Howard, a Phoenix police spokesman, tells New Times. "With his access to vehicles, he certainly has the ability to continue committing crimes elsewhere."
A police report released this week details the shooter's most recent confirmed strike and lists the target's name, but for obvious reasons the victim would prefer that his identity not be revealed.
The young man and his nephew were returning from a coin laundry at 30th Street and Thomas Road at about 5:30 p.m. on July 11, a Monday. Driving slowly south on 30th Street into the neighborhood of single-family homes, he reached the stop sign on Sheridan Street. A dirty, black, four-door BMW had also pulled up to the four-way stop, heading west on Sheridan. The young man driving with his nephew yielded to the BMW, but the driver, also a young male, didn't move. So the victim moved his red car forward to continue along 30th. The BMW driver turned right to head north on 30th, and for a moment the two drivers — both of whom had their driver's-side window down — came within feet of each other.
"We were pretty close. He was like, from me to you," the man says. "It was at point-blank range."
He describes the BMW driver as a young-looking, clean-shaven Hispanic man with short black hair, wearing a black T-shirt and holding a black handgun.
The latest flyer depicting the serial shooter contains a composite sketch of the suspect and a car similar to the black BMW seen by the victim who escaped being shot on July 11. Phoenix PD
"It was so in-the-moment," he says, attempting to describe the experience. "It was within a matter of seconds."
He recalls that the suspect seemed to stick his head forward: "Like, 'I'm making sure I'm locking on to you.'"
The gunman looked quickly left and right as if to check for possible witnesses, then focused again on the victim: "Like, 'I'm gonna get you.'"
The victim says the gunman would have been able to clearly see his nephew in the passenger seat. The handgun snapped as the suspect fired once at him. The man ducked and tried to shield the little boy as he stomped the accelerator. He remembers hearing at least two more shots as he sped away.
"I was like, 'I gotta get away from this dude!'" he recounts. "It was so quick and so surprising."
The man says he firmly believes it was "God's deliverance" that spared him and his nephew. He shows New Times the bullet holes in his car. One punched through the left side near the hood. He found another in his dashboard.
EXPAND The normally quiet intersection at 30th and Sheridan streets in Phoenix, the site of the most recent confirmed assault by the Serial Street Shooter, which occurred July 11. Ray Stern
Residents near the intersection say it's frightening to think of bullets flying around their neighborhood, a quiet area where gunfire is never heard.
Almost never, that is.
One group of family members tell New Times that, about a year or two ago, someone stood on the same street and fired a gun several times into the air. The perpetrator was arrested after he was identified on a homeowner's exterior house camera.
When one of the residents called 911 to report hearing gunshots on July 11, the operator told her police wouldn't respond unless the shooting was "retaliation," she says. (New Times couldn't immediately confirm her tale.) She says one of her sons then called another number for Phoenix police. She looked outside after hearing the shots and saw the victim's red car drive past, but no black car.
Detectives who responded to the scene found five shell casings at the intersection of Sheridan and 30th streets. One of the bullets hit a nearby block wall. In a video recovered from a nearby resident's home, a "puff of smoke or dust can be seen" as the bullet hits the wall.
"With his access to vehicles, he certainly has the ability to continue committing crimes elsewhere." — Phoenix police Sergeant Jonathan Howard on the Serial Street Shooter, who remains at large.
The report doesn't indicate whether the shell casings were definitively linked to the seven fatal shootings, or why police believe the shooting at 30th and Sheridan was committed by the serial shooter. Police collected video evidence from several sources following a canvass of the neighborhood.
"We thought it was firecrackers at the beginning," one resident said. "One of our neighbors thought it was someone pounding on her door."
Residents said they've been on high alert since the incident, paying more careful attention to the cars that drive on their street. Witnesses from the other shootings reported seeing a car that also had light coloring — police believe the suspect could be a mechanic or someone else who has access to several vehicles.
"Our hope is that people throughout the Valley increase their levels of awareness and report suspicious people or vehicles in their neighborhoods, regardless of where they are," Sergeant Howard tells New Times. "People seem to be struggling to understand that this issue goes beyond Maryvale and affects a larger portion of our city."
Police are offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the suspect's capture. The public is asked to call the Arizona nonprofit Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 800-343-TIPS. Tipsters can also leave an anonymous message via the nonprofit's website, silentwitness.org. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/a-bullet-hole-and-a-miracle-local-driver-tells-of-his-close-call-with-phoenixs-serial-street-shooter-8576075 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/55f425f86d4abaf1ffcfb9d714d621dfeb2e8c4f5fe65398eb207188bb8c8adc.json |
[
"Sara Palmer"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:25 | null | 2016-08-25T07:00:00 | Phoenix's newest brewery, located just outside of the Arcadia neighborhood is bringing a clean, classic approach to brewing with a remarkable twist on... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fhelio-basin-brewing-company-in-phoenix-six-signature-beers-elevated-bar-food-8559408.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8578767/dustin-hazer-tamara-stanger-helio-basin-brewery-brewer-chef-sara-palmer.jpg | en | null | Helio Basin Brewing Company in Phoenix: Six Signature Beers, Elevated Bar Food | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Chef Tamara Stanger and co-owner/head brewer Dustin Hazer of Helio Basin Brewery. Sara Palmer
What do you get when you bring together a Marine, a Muay Thai fighter, and a pharmaceutical scientist? Well, in the case of a new central Phoenix brewery, you get a lineup of six craft beers and a food menu that blends Arizona ingredients and Spanish-style cooking.
Located at 3935 East Thomas Road, Helio Basin Brewing Company comes from owner Mike Conley, a former Marine; brew master and pharmaceutical scientist Dustin Hazer; and head chef and trained Muy Thai fighter Tamara Stanger.
Related Stories Jonathan Buford of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. on the Three Best Hikes in Arizona
The brewery opened earlier this month in the strip mall on the south side of Thomas Road just west of 40th Street, but its story goes back to when Hazer and Conley met in college. Hazer, who was studying pharmaceuticals at Allegheny College by day and making beer with Conley by night, convinced the school's science department to fund their brewing. After graduation, he decided to follow his passion and study brewing at Chicago’s Siebel Institute, while Conley joined the Marines, then went on to Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. Hazer brewed on the East Coast until getting an opportunity to move to Arizona to brew with Four Peaks in Tempe, though he'd return to the right coast to spend four years as brew master for Southern Tier Brewing Company, one of the largest breweries in the country.
At Helio Basin, the team aims to produce beers with classic ingredients. With six core beers available year round, the brewery's line up offers a little something for everyone — there's a American IPA and an American pale ale, as well as a blackberry wheat beer and a robust porter. The brewery's six remaining taps will be filled "only when a good story presents itself," Hazer says.
As far as the kitchen, that's where Stanger comes in. She hopes to offer elevated bar fare and has created a “uniquely Arizona” menu for the brewery. The lineup combines Native American and Spanish-style cooking to produce dishes such as mesquite honey chicken, housemade chorizo, and Yucatecan banana. When possible, Stanger's also sourcing meat locally from Arizona Beer Beef Company at the T.T. Ranch near the base of Black Canyon City.
The brewery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., except on Sunday, when it closes at 9 p.m.
For more information check the Helio Basin Brewing Company website. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/helio-basin-brewing-company-in-phoenix-six-signature-beers-elevated-bar-food-8559408 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/d48e27c649704ef79ffd78c9bd368aa920c511db8fe7934d453fbc88bccc579d.json |
[
"Lauren Saria"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:21 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | The Italian restaurant comes from the Mancuso family, who have owned and operated several restaurants around the Valley since the 1960s. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fmancuso-s-is-now-open-at-the-collier-center-in-downtown-phoenix-heres-the-menu-8602461.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8602463/mancusos-2.jpg | en | null | Mancuso’s Is Now Open at The Collier Center in Downtown Phoenix - Here's The Menu | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Mancuso's restaurant has taken over the former Kincaid's space at the Collier Center. Courtesy of Mancuso's Restaurants
Downtown Phoenix has a new spot for pastas, salads, and steaks in Mancuso's restaurant, now open at the Collier Center. The Italian restaurant comes from the Mancuso family, who have owned and operated several restaurants around the Valley since the 1960s.
Mancuso's, which is located at 201 East Washington Street, takes over the space most recently occupied by Kincaid’s. At an impressive 8,700 square feet, the restaurant offers a dining room, lounge, and two private dining spaces.
Open for both lunch and dinner — in addition to happy hour — Mancuso's serves a lengthy menu that includes starters such as calamari, stuffed mushrooms, oysters, and shrimp cocktail, as well as a list of salads, sandwiches, and entrees during lunch. Expect Italian restaurant classics including lasagna, shrimp scampi, and cannelloni.
Dinner options include everything from lobster tail Oscar and linguine and clams to pork chop Milanese and a veal chop. The restaurant's dinner menu also includes hand-cut Black Angus steaks.
The restaurant also offers happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily.
For more information, check the Mancuso's website.
EXPAND Courtesy of Mancuso's Restaurants
EXPAND Courtesy of Mancuso's Restaurants | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/mancuso-s-is-now-open-at-the-collier-center-in-downtown-phoenix-heres-the-menu-8602461 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/cc3cc6cabff9fbe624b92738c4bba92356008308713bd5a2644b948bdeb18dcb.json |
[
"Janessa Hilliard"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:15 | null | 2016-08-25T07:00:00 | Randy Phillips' Think! Graphic and Printing Solutions located off Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix suffered significant fire damage on August 24. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Ffire-damages-think-graphic-and-printing-solutions-off-roosevelt-row-in-downtown-phoenix-8582687.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8582710/think_front_courtesy_randy_phillips_gofundme.jpg | en | null | Think! Graphic and Printing Solutions Damaged in Fire in Downtown Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | A fire broke out early Wednesday morning severely damaging Think! Graphic and Printing Solutions in downtown Phoenix. Courtesy Randy Phillips / GoFundMe
A house fire broke out at Fifth and Roosevelt streets early Wednesday morning, significantly damaging Think! Graphic and Printing Solutions.
The fire started shortly after 5 a.m. on August 24 in the attic area of the historic home that housed the print shop and gallery at 917 North Fifth Street. According to multiple reports, the fire was contained by 5:30 a.m.
Randy Phillips, who owns and operates Think, tells New Times he found out his business was burning after receiving a Twitter notification from a local television news station story.
"[It said] the Think office was on fire, so I rushed over. And that's where we are right now," he says during a mid-morning phone call.
Because of the early hour, no employees were present and no injuries were reported. The office and all its equipment, however, are ruined.
"We had garment printers in there and regular printers and digital printers and computers and stuff," Phillips says, adding that it seemed like some sort of electrical fire. "Everything's either charred or melted or water damage. Everything is pretty much done. We're gonna have to move entirely."
The print shop, which specializes in everything from fliers for local art shows to screen printing and business cards, has been a Roosevelt Row staple for the better part of a decade.
EXPAND Fire damage at Think! in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday, August 24. Courtesy Randy Phillips
Phillips' landlord and neighboring business owners have rallied to help him find a temporary home for the operation — possibly next door to Flowers on Roosevelt — that can be up and running within the next month to 45 days. Phillips isn't looking at this as an ending, but rather a setback, one he's determined to rise up from with the help of the community and a GoFundMe account.
"We basically have to figure out what's the next step," he says. "That's part of the reason for the GoFundMe. I don't want to have to lay anybody off. I want to try to get up and going here downtown as fast as I possibly can."
The trending GoFundMe campaign, "Raise Think Phoenix from the ashes!", has already raised $1,155 of its $50,000 goal within hours of its launch. Unlike similar platforms, fundraising through the site allows users to keep all donations, regardless of whether they make their goal.
Think's sister location, at 1425 East University Drive in Tempe, will remain open for business. The majority of Think's orders are placed online, so everything is be re-routed and it's still "full steam ahead," Phillips says.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Phoenix Fire Department officials. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/fire-damages-think-graphic-and-printing-solutions-off-roosevelt-row-in-downtown-phoenix-8582687 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/edd5760dfd8f9090c54c814c73747b618c4db1e3b2363adfa2d5cef12fa89aad.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-26T22:48:44 | null | 2016-08-26T14:08:00 | Sheriff Joe Arpaio has found himself in serious trouble with a federal judge who wants to see him charged with criminal contempt. What to do? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Farpaio-sees-judges-criminal-contempt-referral-as-fundraising-opportunity-8589991.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8590012/arpaio-reelection-signs-truck.jpg | en | null | Arpaio Sees Judge's Criminal-Contempt Referral as Fundraising Opportunity | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND A photo from the Re-Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio 2016 Facebook page. Facebook
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio sees a federal judge's criminal-contempt referral as the perfect fundraising opportunity, imploring potential donors to save him from the "far left."
Last week, Arizona U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow referred Arpaio to the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office for possible prosecution over the sheriff's ongoing non-compliance with a 2013 order in the Melendres racial-profiling case. Snow also referred Arpaio's chief deputy, Jerry Sheridan, ex-internal affairs boss Steve Bailey, and ex-Arpaio attorney Michele Iafrate to the prosecutor's office.
The referral came just 10 days before a primary election that has Arpaio facing off against one of his Republican enemies, Dan Saban. (Arpaio is expected to trounce Saban, a former Mesa police officer and Buckeye police chief who previously ran for sheriff as a Democrat.)
As Arpaio's campaign manager, Chad Willems, was complaining to the media on Thursday about the "timing" of Snow's move, the campaign was sending out fundraising letters, using Arpaio's potential trip to the slammer as incentive and lobbing a barely veiled insult at the judge.
The letterhead on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's August 25 fundraising mailer.
"The judge made this decision just 10 days before my primary election!" the letter blares in boldface to potential donors. "This decision by this judge stems from a 'racial profiling' case brought against me by the ultra-liberal American Civil Liberties Union. You know them. They're the far-left group that makes a living off suing police departments for financial gain. They're also the ones who defend child molesters, cop killers and known terrorists such as Khalid Sheik Mohamed — the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks!"
While you're marveling at the sheriff's ability to misspell Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, note the scare quotes around racial profiling: Arpaio seems to be signaling that even after all this, he doesn't think Snow's ruling in Melendres is legit. (Not to mention the close proximity of "this judge" to "Khalid Sheik [sic] Mohamed [sic]."
"Support Sheriff Joe! Donate $50 right now," the letter urges.
Explaining that the criminal-contempt referral began with "Obama's Justice Department" hassling him over his "unwavering position against illegal immigration," Arpaio informs his fanbase that the stakes are now "way higher."
Arizona U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow YouTube Screenshot/CSPAN
"In addition to campaign for re-election I'm now going to have to fight tooth and nail against this court action. That's why I need your help, right away. Barack Obama, his Justice Department and their far-left allies like the ACLU would love nothing better than to see me convicted of a crime."
Given that Judge Snow has made it clear that he wants to see Arpaio convicted of a crime, we'll put him in the "far-left allies" column.
We'll also assume the sheriff has no truck with such nonsense: "I will not be intimidated by anyone who seeks to silence me from speaking out against our federal government's failure to secure our border or enforce our immigration laws."
Naturally, there's the small matter of a re-election campaign.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to fight this case because I know I've done nothing wrong," Arpaio writes. "The media is having a field day with this. They're intentionally misleading the public about this case and making it sound as if I'm going to jail! This could not be further from the truth."
The fact of the matter is that Arpaio could face up to six months behind bars — and perhaps more — if he's convicted of criminal contempt.
Chad Willems didn't return a call from New Times requesting comment. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arpaio-sees-judges-criminal-contempt-referral-as-fundraising-opportunity-8589991 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/8deffe18a59fb632308d33861f71ea46f58aa856538c9090089736a8f682f692.json |
[
"Benjamin Leatherman"
] | 2016-08-29T20:49:38 | null | 2016-08-29T13:33:00 | An argument escalated into gun violence after last call at CJ Talley's Pub. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fshooting-outside-of-cj-talleys-pub-in-phoenix-injures-two-8596671.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8596865/cj-talleys-pub-north-central-phoenix.jpeg | en | null | Two Injured in Shooting Outside of Phoenix Bar | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND CJ Talley's Pub in Phoenix. Jason P. Woodbury
A heated argument at a popular Phoenix bar early this morning escalated into a shooting that injured two people.
According to Phoenix Police Department officials, an after-hours dispute between two men inside of CJ Talley’s Pub became violent after they took the fight outside.
A total of four people became involved in the fracas. Shots were reportedly fired at approximately 2:40 a.m. outside of the establishment, which is located on 16th Street just north of Bethany Home Road.
Two men each were wounded in the leg by gunfire. They were later transported to area hospitals and their injuries were not life-threatening. Two other individuals who were involved in the shooting fled the scene and are currently being sought by the cops.
Phoenix PD has not released the identities of anyone involved as of this writing. Anyone who may have information regarding the incident or the suspects is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-948-6377.
This is the second fight outside of a Phoenix bar this month that resulted in a shooting. On August 3, a male and female were wounded by an unidentified man following an confrontation outside of the Snap Lounge at 15th Avenue and Camelback Road. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/shooting-outside-of-cj-talleys-pub-in-phoenix-injures-two-8596671 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/6d6d85631c57d9927d32af2f5d83de7679f8a2f9277d702dfc7bea986fb99599.json |
[
"Jonny Coleman"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:47 | null | 2016-08-25T09:33:00 | If you're a serious music fan, the obvious recommendations and shallow catalogs of all streaming music services still can't compare to having your own... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fstreaming-platforms-are-great-if-you-have-really-basic-taste-in-music-8586211.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7203099/make-streaming-great-hat.png | en | null | Music Streaming Platforms Are Great - If You Have Really Basic Taste | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Just kidding — it was never actually great. The Washington Post's Trump hat generator
Streaming music is, at best, for the most basic music consumer. At worst, it’s exploitative and shitty.
All of the major streaming platforms tout the fact that they are an amazing way to discover new artists. But for more serious listeners, that claim is usually empty. I’ve never “discovered” an artist I didn’t know through an “if you liked X, you’ll probably like Y” algorithm, all of which seem capable of delivering only the most obvious results. And all of these services have giant holes in their catalogs, which, for musical completists, makes them not worth crossing the paywall.
Every major streaming service has its own unique set of flaws, which we’ll get into in a moment. But it’s important to note that the underlying cause of these flaws might be the same. Ultimately, these are all the creations of tech people hoping to make a fortune based on cutting out the rights holders of the music as much as possible. A combination of bad business practices, poor application of technology and unrealistic expectations so far has delivered nothing but inferior products. They may serve the most casual of listeners, but for both the artists themselves and their most ardent fans, so far, no service has delivered everything it's promised.
YouTube
YouTube is the oldest entity on this list and has grandfathered its way to legitimacy — kinda, sorta — along the way. But it’s far from the ideal way to discover or listen to music. It’s still great at what it originally set out to be: a place for amateurs to host their own videos. But as a music streaming platform (or as a source for professional, scripted content), it leaves much to be desired. YouTube is riddled with ads and unofficial uploads. And the site — like every other streamer on this list — pays artists, publishers and labels like garbage. In broad terms, streaming companies are taking most of the payouts that would have gone to artists or other rights holders, and YouTube is arguably the worst offender of the bunch.
On a technical level, the sound quality on YouTube is generally atrocious. Songs often sound compressed and tinny. And as a discovery engine, it's even worse. The videos it recommends to me on the right-hand column never offer any suggestions beyond the obvious — or the totally irrelevant, thanks to major labels paying for more exposure and higher search results.
Here's what YouTube recommends when I clicked the top search result for "Prins Thomas," a Scandinavian producer I like:
EXPAND YouTube screengrab
YouTube recommends Bonobo, Chet Faker, Nicolas Jaar, Lindstrom, LCD Soundsystem and Todd Terje. But I already am extremely familiar with those artists, all of whom are arguably better known than Prins Thomas. I would be hard-pressed to find a Prins Thomas fan who does not already know all of these artists. While this is anecdotal, it's par for the course.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud had a promising start. DJs, particularly dance music DJs, helped solidify a community on the nascent platform. But as it grew and had to turn legit, SoundCloud has slowly but surely alienated most of its early adopters. With overly aggressive content-recognition software, it has taken down mixes and kicked some DJs off the site entirely.
Despite trying to legitimize itself, SoundCloud has been toeing the bankruptcy line and seems to be on an inevitable collision course with failure. The problem from a business perspective is that you don’t have to be a member to listen to music on SoundCloud. As a consumer, this is a real bonus. But it’s bad for the bottom line. SoundCloud may have had good intentions from the start, but it has lost the good will of a lot of users and diehard music fans along the way. And it's had a nightmare of a time creating a mobile app that fulfills the most basic functions.
Spotify
Spotify — the Swedish company currently winning the streaming wars in terms of subscriber base — was early on the whole playlist thing. It outsources curation to music magazines or other “influencers” (just typing that word makes me feel dirty) to create playlists, based on Spotify’s catalogs. That’s all fine and good — but you’re still outsourcing discovery, and if I’m a consumer, why don’t I just go straight to the curator (a magazine, website or DJ) for tips? Why do I need Spotify? Plus, its library is full of holes, even from giant, mainstream artists' catalogs.
And playlists don’t distract from the fact that Spotify’s interface is so buggy and aesthetically unattractive that it’s not worth logging into unless absolutely necessary. Songs and playlists can take eons to load, songs often hiccup during playback, and it regularly freezes my system. If you regularly have to force quit your browser, there's a problem. If the streaming service requires too much RAM or bandwidth, that's the system's fault, not the user's. I shouldn't need the world's fastest, newest computer in order to listen to music. And so many other services have modeled themselves after Spotify to the point of mutually assured destruction.
Apple Music
The most profitable company in the world seems to have the least imaginative vision of streaming and came tardy to the party. The interface — which is deeply entwined with iTunes, itself a deeply flawed, ugly digital product — is a nightmare, unnecessarily byzantine and confusing. It may have some good content, but you'd never know because it is buried somewhere unintuitive.
Too bad Apple is not in the business of listening to reason. There is truly nothing positive to say about this service, and it's just a question of how much money the Apple overlords want to burn in this garbage fire.
Tidal
Apple Music and Tidal are essentially indistinguishable at this point. They should absorb one another and try to take on the others. The botched release of high-profile albums like The Life of Pablo is inexcusable for a company that boasts so many resources and major backers. Is this why Kanye wants Apple to buy Tidal? Because it's broken beyond repair?
Tidal and Apple Music seem to both believe that offering "exclusive," high-profile albums is the way to entice people to sign up for a "free" trial. But the notion that any digital product could be exclusive in 2016 is so flawed and naive that I almost feel bad for these guys. Do they not understand how file-sharing works? That alone illustrates how out-of-touch the streaming platforms are.
There are other options out there, too — MixCloud, Pandora and whatever startup is launching as I type — and, well, they all suck too. Trust.
Is streaming music an inherently flawed proposition? For truly serious music consumers, it may be. No one service has yet to convince me that giving up ownership of my music is a good idea. And none of their algorithms can replace the experience of finding and discovering music from actual, trusted human sources.
The discerning music consumer is less interested in what is trending and wants to judge music on its inherent merits.
I believe that discerning music consumers want to hear stuff they wouldn't have found on their own. I believe the discerning music consumer is less interested in what is trending or "successful" and wants to judge music based on its inherent merits, inasmuch as that's possible. I believe the discerning music fan does not just want to receive music recommendations based on narrow genre guidelines or by obvious connections.
The serious music consumer does not want to have five accounts to cover all of her music needs because each service's catalog is incomplete. The serious fan wants high-fidelity digital files (that aren't proprietary — I'm looking at you, .m4a) so she can make mixtapes, CDs or mixes for personal use. The serious fan might also want to bring a file into Ableton or Logic and futz around with it. For the serious fan, music is now an interactive experience.
The serious music fan doesn't want to listen to the same five ads over and over and doesn't want "promoted" tracks in his timeline. The serious music fan definitely wants his entire library to be fully and easily accessible offline. The serious music fan is willing to pay more for the best experience. The serious music fan wants a clean interface with a rich catalog and recommendations that elucidate music he would never have found otherwise.
And here's another important point: The serious music fans wants the artists she supports by streaming to be able to make a living.
34,000,000 streams
Income After tax = £1700
Thank U @apple @YouTube @Spotify
especially @UMG_News for selling our music so cheaply. — Geoff Barrow (@jetfury) April 13, 2015
Big data cannot — at least at this point in history — satisfy the rabid, completist music fan and compete with human beings, who are still better curators of music. That’s why (human) DJs are riding a wave of historic popularity; we need other human beings to sift through the mountains of forgettable music that’s being uploaded every day. It’s not an exact science that a robot can learn. It’s complicated. Connections between music and artists don't boil down to similar time signature, tempo, length and other indicators. Vnyl and other companies understand this and are trying to pivot off the streamers’ mistakes.
Finding a way to make streaming work for everyone — the streaming company itself, the publishers, the artists, the labels, the average consumer and the specialized consumer — is a really difficult proposition. Maybe it’s so difficult that it’s not meant to happen. There are too many interests at play and not enough money to go around. Perhaps traditional e-commerce — in which you buy a song or album and just, you know, own it — will inevitably win. Bandcamp does this well and promotes discovery. Instead of offering a cheap, flawed product for under $10 a month, maybe the streamers should follow Bandcamp's lead and focus on trying to place a higher value on music, instead of bowing to the culture’s demands.
The music industry has been completely lost in the 21st century and is constantly chasing a panacea for all of its self-inflicted woes. It saw the success of film and TV streamers like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu and decided to chase that model. But movies, TV and music are not interchangeable — the experience of consuming each form of media is different, and what works for Orange Is the New Black does not necessarily work for a highly personalized and carefully curated collection of, say, ambient techno. Until someone finds the magic bullet, streaming will remain valuable only to the most basic listeners among us.
If you find value in streaming services, more power to you. For the rest of us, streaming services feel cheap and disposable — and by extension, they make the music itself feel cheaper and more disposable, too. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/streaming-platforms-are-great-if-you-have-really-basic-taste-in-music-8586211 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/e1deb6326b42bd15242922bd64bc543d87a3569a967014d74daf4c4a0de76940.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-31T12:50:10 | null | 2016-08-31T05:16:00 | Arizona politics have caught the public's eye since the presidential preference election in March, when thousands of voters in Maricopa County waited... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Farizona-primary-2016-winners-include-john-mccain-and-paul-babeu-8602434.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8603204/img_4451.jpg | en | null | Arizona Primary 2016 Winners Include John McCain and Paul Babeu | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Former GoDaddy exec Christine Jones gave what sounded like a victory speech as unofficial returns showed her leading her nearest competitor, Andy Biggs, in Tuesday's primary election. The contest in Congressional District 5 was one of several exciting races in 2016. Ray Stern
John McCain and Joe Arpaio smashed their Republican competitors, Christine Jones and Paul Babeu appear headed for Washington, D.C., and Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell might be in trouble.
That's just some of the fallout from Arizona's 2016 primary election on Tuesday, which featured contests that are being watched nationally. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, several races remained too close to call, including Purcell's.
Arizona politics have caught the public's eye since the presidential preference election in March, when thousands of voters in Maricopa County waited in line for up to five hours at the polls. Nationwide, people wonder whether Arizona voters might choose Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump in November, choose a Democrat over a GOP senator who has been in office for 34 years, or choose anyone over six-term Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. For good measure, the state is one of two named in a recent FBI alert regarding foreign attacks on voter-registration databases.
Tuesday's primary results didn't disappoint for entertainment value. But that's not to say many Phoenix-area voters won't be disappointed. As of about midnight, with 73 percent of the precincts reporting, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's website, here are the highlights:
Kelli Ward Ray Stern
• Dr. Kelli Ward recently diagnosed U.S. Senator John McCain, who turned 80 on Monday, as "old" and "weak." He showed her some muscle on Tuesday, outdistancing her by more than 65,000 votes, or about 52 percent to 38 percent. McCain still must fend off Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in November to keep his seat.
"I've made my share of mistakes, and I think I've done some good," McCain said, once victory seemed assured. "But believe me, I've never made the mistake of not appreciating the extraordinary privilege I've been given by you, the people of Arizona."
• Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who's seeking a seventh term and recently used the fact that he's facing a possible criminal contempt charge as fodder for a fundraising e-mail, was beating his old nemesis, Dan Saban, by a margin of more than two to one. Arpaio's office infamously went after Saban in 2008 when the former Mesa cop dared to run again him as a Democrat, raising money from millionaires and using it for an R-rated TV hit piece. Saban switched to the GOP for this race but never gained much momentum. With 89 percent of precincts reporting, Arpaio was up 66 percent to 26 percent. The incumbent sheriff faces a tougher contest in November against Democrat and former Phoenix cop Paul Penzone.
• Penzone, meanwhile, was the only Democrat running for sheriff in Maricopa County and received 147,137 votes, which compares somewhat favorably to Arpaio's tally of 185,407. Saban and two other Republican competitors against Arpaio in the primary were seen as relatively weak candidates, but Penzone has a strong background in law enforcement. Some believe he has a good chance against Arpaio, especially given the potential criminal charge hanging over the latter's head, stemming from the landmark federal civil rights suit Melendres v. Arpaio.
Penzone sent out a message on Tuesday night challenging Arpaio to a debate.
"As candidates, it's time we have a real conversation regarding solutions to the challenges we face," he said. "We can no longer accept politics over policing, nor should we excuse the recent actions from our sheriff, which are in direct violation of the law."
Paul Penzone Stephen Lemons
• Helen Purcell, who along with Secretary of State Michele Reagan took the blame for the debacle at the polls in March, was in the fight of her political career. The seven-term politician was neck and neck with Republican competitor and businessman Aaron Flannery. With 89 percent of precincts reporting in the county, Purcell had 125,752 votes to Flannery's 125,623 — a difference of just 129 votes. (Reagan, by the way, won't be up for re-election until 2018.)
• In a crowded field of GOP competitors for Congressional District 1, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu was far ahead of his next-closest competitor, Wendy Rogers. Unofficial returns had Babeu pulling about 33 percent, compared to Rogers' 22 percent. With Babeu's strong stance against illegal immigration and history of scandals that includes his alleged threat of deportation against a former Mexican lover and his oversight of a school for troubled youth that used cruel discipline methods. Babeu's apparent win in the primary could spell trouble for Republicans, though. Should his margin hold up, he'll face off in November against Democrat Tom O'Halleran, a former cop who bested his primary competitor, Miguel Olivas, 58 percent to 42 percent.
Babeu's apparent victory prompted the following statement from Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D-New Mexico), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: "Democrats have proven cycle after cycle that we know how to win this critical district. As a former police officer, business owner, and public servant, Tom O’Halleran brought members of both parties together to improve Arizona schools and fully fund all-day kindergarten.... We’re confident that Tom will run a winning campaign based on the issues that matter to hardworking Arizonans."
Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell. Ray Stern
• In Congressional District 5, former GoDaddy exec Christine Jones enjoyed a narrow lead against her closest competitor, former lawmaker Andy Biggs. Jones and her team decided at about 10 p.m. there was no way Biggs could catch up and basically declared victory. With no strong Democratic candidate in the solidly Republican district —not that Talia Fuentes, who won the Democratic primary against Kinsey Ramaklus, isn't an interesting candidate — the winner of the GOP primary seems all but assured to take the seat.
Jones said to a crowd at her headquarters in a strip mall near Baseline and Stapley roads that in office she'll strive to be as "transparent and available and accountable as possible."
"We want a new way of thinking," she said. "We want people who think like us, who have a proven track record of getting things done to go to Washington and actually do something."
Biggs's campaign released a statement late Tuesday saying the vote was too close to call and the race "far from over." Biggs will wait until more provisional and mail-in ballots dropped off at the polls are counted to see if the gap narrows.
• In yet another watchable Arizona Congressional race, physician Matt Heinz was beating former TV reporter Victoria Steele 53 percent to 47 percent in CD2. Heinz appears set to challenge incumbent Republican Martha McSally in the swing district.
"I'm thrilled with tonight's results, but there's no time to rest," Heinz said in a statement on Tuesday. "Martha McSally and her wealthy special-interest friends are focused on their own self-interest, not the needs of our district."
Dr. Matt Heinz HeinzforArizona.com
• The choice is a bit narrower for three open Arizona Corporation Commission seats. The two Democrats running for the slots, Tom Chabin and Bill Mundell, will appear on November's ballot. On the Republican side, it looks as though Bob Burns, Andy Tobin, and Boyd Dunn will be on the ballot, but not Rick Gray.
• Sonny Borrelli was beating fellow Republican Ron Gould soundly for the Legislative District 5 State Senate race. The contest between the two Lake Havasu City men grew ugly at times, with Gould apparently leaking a 2001 police report containing an allegation that Borrelli beat his ex-wife. Borrelli strongly denied the allegation, saying he didn't actually hit his wife, and that he only pleaded guilty to get the court process over quickly and return to raising his children. His oldest son backed Borrelli's version of events.
The day began with a bit of excitement in Maricopa County, as some polling facilities failed to open on time. All were online by 6:30 a.m., though, and the election went smoothly for the rest of the day. Perhaps too smoothly: Some poll workers reported seeing very few voters.
Voters endured the long lines in March primarily because there were only 60 polling locations set up in the entire county. This time the county had 720 precincts, said one poll worker. It may have been overkill.
"There were no wait times," said one Mesa poll worker who didn't want to reveal her name. The county had provided the precinct at the Longmore Road Baptist Church with thousands of ballots, but fewer than 100 people voted all day. Slightly more than that number came in to drop off an early ballot, the woman said. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-primary-2016-winners-include-john-mccain-and-paul-babeu-8602434 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/94b840447288ca29dfe1a12bc4ee298b1b7f397b151da5546831f8954a116444.json |
[
"Elizabeth Stuart"
] | 2016-08-29T14:50:11 | null | 2016-08-29T06:26:00 | Mexican-American civil rights activist Dolores Huerta visited Phoenix to call on Latinos to stand against Donald Trump and all Republicans who have... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fdolores-huerta-launches-latino-voter-turnout-effort-to-defeat-donald-trump-and-john-mccain-8588298.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8588304/dolores_huerta_2.jpg | en | null | Dolores Huerta Launches Latino Voter-Turnout Effort to Defeat Donald Trump and John McCain | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers and a 2012 Presidential Medal of Honor recipient, launched an anti-Donald Trump campaign at a press conference in Phoenix on August 26. Elizabeth Stuart
Mexican American civil rights activist Dolores Huerta visited Phoenix last week to encourage Latinos to turn out and vote against presidential nominee Donald Trump.
At an August 26 press conference with several other Latino leaders, including including U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego and State Representative Rebecca Rios, Huerta called Trump "bizarre" and "dangerous."
"Donald Trump has shown by his words and his actions that he doesn't have any respect for anybody," she said. "It's all about him. His approach is dictatorial. He's not a problem solver; he's a problem maker."
The event at the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center was the first stop on a multi-state tour backed by the advocacy group People for the American Way, for which Huerta, a 2012 Presidential Medal of Honor winner, serves as a board member.
Huerta called on Latinos to stand against Trump and all Republicans who have endorsed or pledged to vote for him or work to advance his agenda. In particular, she came down hard on U.S. Senator John McCain, who, despite initial misgivings, urged Republican leaders in May to stand behind Trump, saying it would be "foolish" to ignore the will of the voters who named the real-estate magnate their candidate.
Related Stories Civil Rights Leader Dolores Huerta Endorses Ruben Gallego for Congress
"I like to remind people that Hitler was elected to office," Huerta said. "It wasn't a coup; he was actually elected."
With strong voter turnout, Latinos "have the power to decide the election," Huerta said, employing the now-iconic rallying cry she coined with Cesar Chavez in 1972 after they co-founded United Farm Workers: "¡Sí, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!").
Nationwide, 27.3 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Pew Research Center, which is more than any time in history. In Arizona, 21.5 percent of eligible voters are Latino. The demographic has a historically low turnout rate, however, and, in recent years, it has been on the decline. In 2014, only 27 percent of eligible Latinos weighed in at the polls.
Hoping to boost those numbers, Lizet Ocampo, director of People for the American Way, announced the launch of a new bilingual radio ad campaign.
The ads, which began playing on 105.9, 106.3, and 100.3 last week, feature a young adult, who uses a mix of English and Spanish, conversing with her Spanish-speaking mother.
"I'm scared of Donald Trump, Mom," the young woman says in the radio spot. "You're going to vote against him, right?"
"Of course, darling," the mother replies. "We can't allow him to win."
In order to ensure he and his Republican cronies don't win, she continues, "we have to make sure everyone goes out and votes."
"The Republicans are the ones saying Latinos are criminals and they don't support making college more affordable, right Mom?" the young woman says.
"And they want to cut benefits to Puerto Rico, take away Obamacare, and, to top it off, they are against increasing the minimum wage — my wage," the mother answers. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/dolores-huerta-launches-latino-voter-turnout-effort-to-defeat-donald-trump-and-john-mccain-8588298 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2ac272344792a96ae222075054efe05052f09846712761548656fd29c1dece05.json |
[
"Lauren Saria"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:37 | null | 2016-08-31T06:00:00 | Utah-based sandwich chain, Even Stevens Sandwiches, will open three locations around metro Phoenix this fall. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Futah-based-even-stevens-sandwich-shop-to-open-three-locations-in-phoenix-this-fall-8599634.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8599640/evenstevens_mihamivice.jpg | en | null | Utah-Based Even Stevens Sandwich Shop to Open Three Locations in Phoenix This Fall | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | The sandwich company is known for its buy-one-donate-one model. Courtesy of Even Stevens Sandwiches
Utah-based sandwich chain Even Stevens Sandwiches will open three locations around metro Phoenix this fall. The sandwich shop, which currently has locations in Utah and Idaho, is known for its buy-one-donate-one model (think Toms shoes, but with sandwiches), meaning that for every sandwich sold at its Arizona stores, the company will also donate one sandwich to local food banks.
The first Even Stevens sandwich shop to open in Arizona will be located at 384 North Gilbert Road in Gilbert, and will hold its grand opening on Wednesday, October 5. That restaurant will be followed by a second location at 21 West Van Buren Street in downtown Phoenix, which will open on Wednesday, November 2. A third location will open at 7217 East Fourth Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale on Monday, November 7.
The self-identified "craft-casual" restaurant serves a menu of sandwiches, salads, breakfast and brunch items, and sides. Diners can also expect coffee (the company has partnered locally with Chandler's Peixoto) and craft beer including local brews from SanTan Brewery. Other local partners include Noble Bread.
As far as where as those donated sandwiches will go, Even Stevens has teamed up with Arizona's St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance.
For more information, check the Even Stevens website. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/utah-based-even-stevens-sandwich-shop-to-open-three-locations-in-phoenix-this-fall-8599634 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/26af92a8ecc4cf6569c277bef9aa06474aaaaed5677a387d4c5bccdf44c9ffbe.json |
[
"Patricia Escarcega"
] | 2016-08-30T14:50:04 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 | Mucha Lucha is the place to go for time-tested, richly flavored meat stews, dolloped onto tortillas, designed to make you feel like you’re eating... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fmucha-lucha-taco-shop-fast-casual-tacos-shine-at-two-valley-locations-8597800.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8597802/phoenix_new_times_mucha_luchajackie_mercandetti_photo011.jpg | en | null | Mucha Lucha Taco Shop: Fast-Casual Tacos Shine at Two Valley Locations | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Do yourself a favor and don't skip the shrimp tacos at Mucha Lucha Taco Shop. Jackie Mercandetti
In the year or so since it’s been open, Mucha Lucha Taco Shop has established itself as a favorite of the local taco cognoscenti, the place to go for a lunch plate of street tacos filled with stewy, drippy guisos caseros, the homestyle Mexican braises that take hours to cook and mere seconds to devour.
There are two Mucha Lucha locations in town — in south Tempe and south Scottsdale — both offering roughly the same menu of slow-cooked meats, and both located in tiny, unassuming strip-mall storefronts sporting candy-colored walls and oversize wall portraits of iconic Mexican lucha libre gladiators.
Mucha Lucha operates with the same sort of fast-casual set-up as your local Subway sandwich shop, except that instead of turkey and ham and roast beef behind the plastic sneeze guard, there are metal trays brimming with about a half-dozen chile-laced, stewed meat preparations, most of these approximating some shade of deep orange or burnt red.
EXPAND Behind the counter at Mucha Lucha Taco Shop. Jackie Mercandetti
The standard order here is a plate of five street tacos, each taco double-layered with two small, warm, corn tortillas. The tortillas are fine, but nothing too special — you come here for the selection of slow-cooked guisos, which are pretty much all wonderful in their own way.
There’s a smoky, rich chicken tinga, fragrant with the deep scent of grilled onions, that even the most chipotle-averse taco-lover can love. There is another red chile chicken option, the tender slivers of chicken simmered in a lovely medium-spicy guajillo chile sauce. There’s a finely shredded beef in a savagely hot red chile sauce, and there is a very good and very spicy chile verde, the soft, spongey hunks of meat hot enough to make your lips go slightly numb.
Eat at Mucha Lucha Taco Shop enough times, and you will no doubt develop a personal fondness for one meat preparation over the others. But it only seems fair to point out that the carnitas are pretty great: The scraps of pork are frizzled to a slight, delicious crisp, and full of rich, garlicky flavor. And there is carne asada, of course, the gnarled, juicy slivers of steak nicely and brightly seasoned and crisped up on the flattop moments before landing on your tortilla.
Related Stories Tacos Chiwas Is An Outstanding Addition to McDowell Road’s Mexican Food Scene
Condiments and toppings are plentiful, but these lean mostly toward north-of-the-border accoutrements like shredded iceberg lettuce and thick noodles of Monterey Jack cheese. You may wish to preserve the purity of your guisos, insisting on nothing but a few flakes of cilantro and chopped white onions. If that’s the case, you must speak up quickly, before an overeager line cook smothers your taco in shredded white cheese. If there is one flaw in the Mucha Lucha Taco machine, it’s that pretty much every item on the menu is customizable — almost too customizable — and the somewhat harried staff tends to play free and loose with the add-ons as you work your way down the counter and toward the cash register. You’ll have to stay vigilant if you don’t want those gently stewed meats drowned out by lettuce, pico, sour cream, and the like. Or, of course, drown away, if that’s your thing.
EXPAND Stay vigilant or risk your burrito being smothered in excess amounts of pico and sour cream. Jackie Mercandetti
There’s more to Mucha Lucha than traditional tacos de guisado, though, although these alone are worth a visit. It would be a mistake to overlook the restaurant’s shrimp tacos, which feature big, nicely butterflied shrimp that have been marinated in a spicy red chile sauce. Once thrown on the flattop, they take on a slightly crisp, crackly finish, and paired with a soft lathering of the house jalapeño cream cheese, a shrimp taco here can be transcendent.
And there are burritos, enormous ones that must be eaten with two hands. You can order a “meat burrito,” which is essentially any combination of meat, beans, rice, and toppings you desire, wrapped and sealed in a buttery, pillowcase-sized flour tortilla.
One of the best burritos is something invented on the fly at the south Scottsdale location, a breakfast burrito called El Jefe, which Mucha Lucha Taco Shop co-owner Fernando Espinoza threw together when a regular customer requested a breakfast burrito fully furnished with carne asada, bacon, chorizo, grilled onions, and something like three or four scrambled eggs. Espinoza makes his own chorizo at the south Scottsdale location, and his handicraft shines through: Nearly every bite pops with notes of salty, savory chorizo, grizzled bits of carne asada and bacon, all nicely lubricated and held together with melted cheese and fluffy egg.
Another house favorite is the Surf & Turf, an oozing, overgrown tube of a burrito, crammed with what seems like unholy amounts of spicy shrimp and griddle-crisped carne asada, plus your choice of stewed pinto beans or black beans, caramelized slivers of bell peppers, and a couple of scoopfuls of rice. It’s not for the burrito purist, who prefers a slim, streamlined type of burrito made simply with simmered meats, or maybe creamy beans laced with molten hot cheese. But it’s very tasty just the same, and just the thing if your goal is to sample half of the menu, all of it conveniently stuffed into the pliable folds of one oversized tortilla.
EXPAND The oversized Surf & Turf burrito features carne asada and shrimp along with beans, bell peppers, and rice. Jackie Mercandetti
You can go slightly healthier and order your burrito in a bowl, sans all the carbs, or you can go significantly less healthy and order your burrito as a chimichanga, a deep-fried, crackly bundle filled with your choice of meat, then covered in a glaze of silky red or green sauce. Even better, though, is something called J.J.’s Quesadilla, which is layered with your choice of soft, simmered meats, beans, that wonderful jalapeño cream cheese, and so much melted cheese, it oozes out in glossy drips.
And there’s something called Macho Fries; the south Scottsdale location of Mucha Lucha used to be a Filiberto’s, and the fries are a sort of menu holdover designed to attract customers with a yen for that chain’s carne asada fries. Mucha Lucha’s version of Macho Fries is pretty straightforward, and about as good as starchy Phoenix-style comfort food gets: thick, seasoned fries smothered in melted cheese, with a generous scattering of seasoned, juicy chopped steak.
If you ask Espinoza about the secret to the restaurant’s very good home-style guisos, he will say that he and his partner, Jaime Zarraga, who runs the south Tempe location, make the meat braises from scratch, and that many of the recipes are based on old family recipes.
He will tell you that recipes come to him in his dreams, and that he hopes the menu will eventually grow to incorporate harder-to-find preparations like birria, and an unforgettable pollo enchilado that an old acquaintance once made for him, but which he has so far been unable to replicate.
But even if he doesn’t fine-tune that recipe any time soon, Mucha Lucha is already the place to go for time-tested, richly flavored meat stews, dolloped onto tortillas, designed to make you feel like you’re eating straight out of your abuelita’s dutch oven.
Mucha Lucha Taco Shop
7620 East McKellips Road, Scottsdale
480-636-8619
818 West Broadway Road, Tempe
480-966-3337
Hours: Monday through Fridays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Sundays
Street tacos $7.25
Shrimp tacos $8.69
Macho fries $8.99
Surf & Turf burrito $9.99 | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/mucha-lucha-taco-shop-fast-casual-tacos-shine-at-two-valley-locations-8597800 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/017bb5b8f3c241c2fcd4d457db0d8cc1bd5e04b44cf4cdb17d1481af05d68889.json |
[
"Lauren Saria"
] | 2016-08-30T16:50:05 | null | 2016-08-30T09:00:00 | 31. Donald Hawk of Welcome Chicken + Donuts | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fdonald-hawk-on-the-best-new-restaurants-in-phoenix-and-being-totally-over-bacon-8597618.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8597619/photo_for_new_times.jpg | en | null | Donald Hawk on The Best New Restaurants in Phoenix and Being Totally Over Bacon | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | From now until we publish the 2016 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times is naming 100 Tastemakers — members of our local culinary community who help shape the way we eat, drink, and think about food in Phoenix. Some you'll know, and for others, it'll be a first introduction, but each person on our list deserves a nod for helping make our city so delicious. Oh, and while you're here, be sure to check out our list of 100 Creatives.
31. Donald Hawk of Welcome Chicken + Donuts
Though he's not technically an Arizona native (he was born in South Korea and came to the United States at 8 months old), chef Donald Hawk is about as entrenched in the Valley food scene as one can be. After graduating from Mesa High School, he attended Arizona Culinary Institute and started his career in the kitchen with a three-month stint on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. He returned to Phoenix to work with chef James Porter at the legendary Tapino, later landing jobs with other top chefs including Claudio Urciuoli, Bernie Kantak, and Chris Bianco.
He spent several years at chef Jeff Kraus' Crepe Bar in Tempe, before heading to central Phoenix's Welcome Chicken + Donuts, where he's been energizing the menu with Asian-influenced specials such as kimchi collard green hush puppies and bahn mi stuffed with fried chicken.
"I'm super-excited since this past year, I've starting looking at my heritage instead of just being unaware about it completely," Hawk says. "It's been a great thing, and I'm excited and super-humbled about being on this list with these other incredible people."
My go-to place for tacos in Phoenix is Tacos Chiwas. Food is so delicious (especially the tripa and barbacoa tacos. Armando, Nadia, and crew do an awesome job.).
The best-kept secret in Phoenix is Cafe Ga Hyang. Everything from duk boki to soon du boon is so good there.
Right now I'm totally obsessed with Korean food. I can't get enough. And totally over bacon. It's fine on its own, but bacon-flavored everything is too much.
My restaurant pet peeve is uninviting restaurants.
The best new restaurant I've been to lately is ... that's tough. Two places come to mind: what Gio Osso is doing at Nico Heirloom Kitchen, and what Anthony [Andiario], Blaise [Faber], and staff are doing at Tratto. Both places have incredible food, great drinks, and I just wanna take my family back to both places over and over again.
The 2016 Tastemakers so far:
100. Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis and Phoenix Public Market Cafe
99. Ross Simon of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
98. Debby Wolvos of DW Photography
97. Anibal and Salem Beyene of Café Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
96. Bo Mostow of Uptown Farmers Market
95. Julian Wright of Pedal Haus Brewery
94. Stephen Jones of The Larder + The Delta
93. Eric Glomski of Page Spring Cellars
92. Richard Bock of Giuseppe's on 28th
91. Walter Sterling of Ocotillo
90. Daniel Sevilla of Angry Crab Shack
89. Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe
88. LaDawn Driscoll of Liberty Market
87. Jason Calhoon of The Shop Beer Co. and Side Kick Cold Brew
86. Tim and Kim Cobb of United Lunchadores Street Gourmet
85. Micah Olson of Bar Crudo and Okra Cookhouse and Cocktails
84. Paola Embry of Christopher's + Crush and The Wrigley Mansion
83. Jared Porter of The Clever Koi
82. Diane Corieri of Evening Entertainment Group
81. Erich Schultz of Steadfast Farm
80. Jeff and Leah Huss of Huss Brewing Company
79. Aaron Pool of Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup
78. Diana Santospago of The Maine Lobster Lady food truck
77. Gio Osso of Virtu Honest Craft and Nico Heirloom Kitchen
76. Lauren Bailey of Upward Projects
75. Rodney Hu of Arizona Distilling Company and Yucca Tap Room
74. Jacob Cutino of Homeboy's Hot Sauce
73. Country and Sergio Velador of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats
72. Dean Thomas of Cornish Pasty Co.
71. Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus
70. Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ
69. Jared Allen of Proof Artisan Breads
68. Steve McFate of McFate Brewing Company
67. Mel Mecinas of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
66. Jessa and Dan Koppenhofer of Gilbert Farmers Market
65. Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks
64. Ryan Probst of Odelay Bagel Co.
63. Diana Brandt of AZFoodie
62. Benjamin Butler of Hayden Flour Mills
61. Jim and Maureen Elitzak of Zak's Chocolate
60. Michael Babcock of Welcome Diner and Welcome Chicken + Donuts
59. Nick Ambeliotis of Mediterra Bakehouse
58. Peter Kasperski of Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar
57. Kimber Stonehouse of LGO Hospitality
56. David Tyda of EATERAZ and Arizona Taco Festival
55. Pavle Milic of FnB
54. Pat Christofolo of Santa Barbara Catering Company and The Farm at South Mountain
53. Brandon Casey of The Ostrich
52. Jonathan Buford of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
51. Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots
50. Rob Fullmer of Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
49. Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys of AZ Bitters Lab
48. Ramona Button of Ramona Farms
47. Justin Piazza of La Piazza Al Forno and La Piazza PHX
46. Andrew Gooi of Food Talkies
45. Jason Raducha of Noble Bread and Noble Eatery
44. Ty Largo of Awe Collective
43. Christopher Gross of Christopher's and Crush Lounge
42. Heidi Lee of Into The Soup
41. ET Rivera of Tres Leches Cafe
40. Monika Woolsey of Hip Veggies
39. Bobby Kramer of The Brickyard
38. Jenna Reeves of Press Coffee Roasters
37. Sarah Chisholm of Phoenix Public Market Cafe
36. Bill Kennedy of Futuro
35. Jan Bracamonte of J. Lauren PR & Marketing
34. Erin Romanoff of the uprooted kitchen
33. Baker Mandy Bublitz
32. Tony Chanthavong of Snoh Ice Shavery | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/donald-hawk-on-the-best-new-restaurants-in-phoenix-and-being-totally-over-bacon-8597618 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/b7b44318eb38a132efe5d05bf95c97b2eef1ee1d1348d3a1eb3e9f5065bd4e00.json |
[
"Ashley Harris"
] | 2016-08-26T18:49:04 | null | 2016-08-26T10:00:00 | Phoenix New Times' Ashley Harris recaps the 500th episode of Degrassi, featuring a reunion of former cast members. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fdegrassi-next-class-recap-what-happened-to-drake-8581014.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8581019/degrassi_protest.jpg | en | null | Degrassi: Next Class Recap: The 500th Episode | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Emma, Liberty and their mini-mes Netflix
Every week, we're recapping season two of Degrassi: Next Class. Spoiler alert: Don't expect to see Drake in this reunion episode.
A few days before season two was set to go live, the Degrassi powers that be announced that one of the new episodes would be a reunion, featuring many of the former cast members from The Next Generation. This was to celebrate the show's 500th(!) episode, a total slam dunk move to get some buzz going over to their new home on Netflix. They did a solid job of intertwining the current storylines with these cameos, but the event was a bit oddly placed in order to make it number 500. The heavy racism arc that has been building since episode one was muddled by the kitschy nostalgia — and vice versa. On the positive end though, the reunion added some much-needed lightness, while the current students added some context for our alums to return, albeit briefly.
Without further ado though, let's do a quick catch-up with the former Degrassians who came out for the school's 60th anniversary gala, in order of appearance:
Liberty Van Zandt ('07): The type-A former student council president is currently in law school. She's also apparently the captain of her school's ultimate frisbee team (we believe it).
Holly J Sinclair ('11): No concrete update on the life of Ms. Sinclair, which is unfortunate since she is arguably one of the best characters in the entire series. We don't know what happened with her and Declan in the end, but we do know that hair still looks amazing.
Peter Stone ('08): We actually already saw Peter this season, as Maya's mentor for her co-op at his recording studio in downtown Toronto.
Craig Manning (dropped out): One of Degrassi's OG hunks, it appears that he's still playing music professionally, performing his song "Rescue You" for the gala. Tristan's starstruck reaction to it means that he was at least somewhat famous down the line, although currently, it's unclear. He could easily be the Semisonic of this school.
Mo Mashkour ('13): Once a class clown, always a class clown, Mo shows up for the gala with a stand-up routine (before he drops out, more on that later). He also casually admitted to experimenting with drugs in university. Whatever it takes!
Sav Bhandari ('11): We only see him briefly, playing bass during a rehearsal of the school song with Peter, Jonah, and Frankie. However, he drops out once Frankie's racism scandal is revealed. He doesn't want to get tagged in any photos with her because he wants to get into politics one day. Guess his affair with a teacher won't come up then?
Marco Del Rossi ('06): During season nine, Marco came back to Degrassi as a student teacher, so it's safe to assume that he's probably teaching somewhere. The only thing this episode told us is that he listens to podcasts (don't forget it's 2016, guys). Can we also talk about how this would be his actual high school reunion year? If that's not a testament to Degrassi's legacy, we don't know what is.
Paige Michalchuk ('06): She got more screen time than most of the alums, but spent it calling back to the time she slapped Marco and joking that one of her high school mistakes was dating Spinner. Snooooze.
Spinner Mason ('07): Despite the ridiculousness that was his quickie wedding to Emma in Degrassi Takes Manhattan, they are indeed still married. He even called her stepdad Mr. Simpson "Dad."
Terri MacGregor (transferred): Of the dozens of characters to choose to mention only by name, this was the most perplexing. It's said that she's speaking at the gala, but she left Degrassi for another school sophomore year. Why her?
Manny Santos ('07): Another person only mentioned by name, she drops off of the gala performance list as well. Holly J says she's bummed because she wanted to hear her sing. They weren't at the school at the same time, so she must be well-known for it?
Emma Nelson ('07): As mentioned, she and Spinner are still married. They made sure to make that abundantly clear with another reference to going to Sunday dinner with him at her parents' house (all right, we get it).
All in all, a solid showing, but it hardly felt worth the effort for the actors to come to set. With as many characters as there have been and only so much time, it's not a total surprise that we didn't get the full details. However, it seems like it's time to get some Degrassi fan fiction going and fill in the gaps of where they've been all this time.
EXPAND Sadly, Drake was nowhere to be found in this reunion episode. Netflix
Now, back to our current students. In a nice callback to the very first Next Generation episodes, we find Tristan welcoming the alumni to the 60th anniversary celebration at the school. The first to arrive are Liberty and Holly J, two former powerhouse class presidents that make him understandably fanboy. He excitedly offers to give them the full tour, when he trips over Lola, who is sitting on the ground. When he asks her to move, she says she's organizing a sit-in to protest her boyfriend Tiny's zero-tolerance punishment for getting into a fight on her behalf. Grace sees what's happening and also joins in, citing the fact that Frankie Hollingsworth didn't get punished for her racist drawing, but Tiny got five days for self-defense. When Tristan says they can't do this now, Liberty jumps into action, scolding him for getting in the way of their right to protest. In turn, she sits down with them.
Elsewhere in the school, Jonah finds his girlfriend, Frankie, reading the book So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. She tells him that the book is definitely making her feel better, but she's still being called "Hollingsracist" and "Ku Klux Fran" (whoa). She knows she needs to let it blow over, but she also misses her friends. She thinks that she wants to try to do something good so people will forget the bad, but she isn't sure what. No sooner does she say that than Peter Stone walks up with a voiceless Maya, who got laryngitis just before she was supposed to sing the school song at the gala. He asks if they know anyone who can fill in, and she enthusiastically volunteers.
Later, Lola is at her family's restaurant with Tiny. She tells him that the principal stepped in and said they can protest, just not inside the school. After asking him what his preferred hashtag would be, he realizes he doesn't want to become the poster child (literally) of this movement. He wasn't totally innocent, and he's willing to take the punishment. Although she wants to make up for her role in it all (y'know, inviting the other guy to bring her pizza at school) she begrudgingly agrees. She returns back to school to tell everyone, who were already well into their sign-making. They argue that it's not about Tiny, it's about how the school treats someone like Tiny versus someone like Frankie. Unless she can come up with an argument for how the school is not racist, then they're going to move forward.
Back inside, rehearsals are coming along for the gala. After Craig Manning and his hunkiness leave the stage, Mo is called up to do his stand-up set. It starts off generally enough, talking about how things have changed and that "kids these days" can just Uber a girlfriend to their math class (don't forget, it's 2016 guys). He starts to talk about the protest outside and, desperate to retain a positive image, Tristan cuts him off, insisting that those are just a few angry students that don't represent the school. Taken aback, Mo decides that he doesn't want to represent the school this way, and quits. Later on, it's revealed that Tristan has a similar run-in with Manny, whose song about teenage pregnancy was "too negative" for the show. That doesn't stop him from keeping Frankie on the show to sing the school song, even after the alumni band (Peter and Sav) drop out because of her racist drawings against Northern Tech that got her kicked off the volleyball team.
EXPAND Degrassi casting the spotlight on some big issues. Netflix
While Lola and Shay are outside discussing if they should move forward with the protest, Marco and Paige overhear them talking about the zero-tolerance policy. Marco and his supersonic hearing butt in, sharing that he heard in a recent podcast that zero-tolerance has been shown to not be executed fairly. A white student is three times more likely to get an exemption from the policy than a nonwhite student, and girls are six times more likely. After hearing those stats, they confront Principal Simpson. He insists that Tiny's punishment was not because he was black, but because he got in a fight. There's nothing more to say. Frustrated, Lola decides she needs to make people listen, and joins up again with the protest outside. Her renewed passion is able to convince Emma and a skeptical Tiny to get behind the cause as well.
Inside, the gala is kicking off with a remarkably small crowd for a celebration of 60 years, but we digress. Frankie nervously waits backstage, unsure if she's made the right decision to put herself out there. She decides to go for a walk, which is where she sees one of the protesters wearing a sign that says "white privilege" with her picture on it. She tries to get away quickly, but is stopped by Spinner and Paige, who recognize her from the sign. They see the need to impart some wisdom, telling her she can't run away from her mistakes. If you're going to make mistakes, this is a great place to do it, as long as you learn from them. "So, you think I can make through?" asks Frankie (see what they did there?) "Degrassi always seems to give you a second chance," says Paige. "Or third, or fourth, or 500th," says Spinner (see what they did there - again?) She decides to soldier on with her song.
Outside, police cars roll up to the protest, and cops ask them to step back onto the grass. When Lola tells them that the principal gave them permission, they tell her that it's school property and they can't block traffic (what traffic?) or endanger themselves. She fights back, and the officer asks Shay to "muzzle this one." Gross. Instead of continuing to fight, she agrees, but tells the group that she has another plan to get their message inside. In record time, she picks up two gobo lights from her family's restaurant in order to shine messages through the windows into the gala. In the middle of Frankie's solo, the words "Stop Silencing Your Students" and "Racism Lives Here" project onto the walls for all to see. She stops dead in her tracks and runs off stage. When Tristan scolds the audience for not letting her feel safe on the stage, Mo counters that Tristan did the exact same thing to him, Manny, and other students.
This revelation inspires him to go outside, grab Lola, and invite her to speak. She assures them she's not mad at Degrassi, but she doesn't want to believe that stuff like racism happens here. It's scary to talk about it, but we should. Later, Simpson hears their argument, and while he still doesn't feel like Tiny's punishment was unfair, they should talk about it. He encourages them to lead a student committee to examine the zero-tolerance policy. One person who won't be on that committee? Frankie, who gets the last scene as she walks away from the school after her botched performance, vowing never to return to Degrassi again. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/degrassi-next-class-recap-what-happened-to-drake-8581014 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ffebcc37fe17b2c221ed8f4c740eebdf7100083905eb4a8bc04839cc0d951ac7.json |
[
"Nicholas Pell"
] | 2016-08-30T16:50:16 | null | 2016-08-30T08:46:00 | if you’re not doing “Kiss on My List” at karaoke, you’re kind of fucking up. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Funpopular-opinion-hall-and-oates-are-the-ultimate-test-of-whether-you-have-any-taste-8599173.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/6867319/hall-and-oates-h2o.jpg | en | null | Unpopular Opinion: Hall and Oates Are the Ultimate Test of Whether You Have Any Taste | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | You need this kind of intimacy to write smooth jams like Daryl Hall and John Oates. RCA Records
If you’re looking for a unifying theme for this column, here it is: It’s dedicated to exploring what one of my oldest and dearest friends calls “the uncanny valley of music.”
I’ve mentioned it here before. For anyone who missed it, here’s how it works: Take a band like The Monkees. People who know nothing about music love The Monkees. People who think they know a lot about music hate The Monkees, call them a fake television band and mock their tunes. People who actually know a lot about music know that Neil Diamond wrote a bunch of The Monkees' tracks, that they were admired by members of Led Zeppelin and The Who, and that Mike Nesmith had a bitchin’ country-rock career that included scoring Northville Cemetery Massacre, the Citizen Kane of biker flicks.
People in this great middle who hate The Monkees are currently returning from Brochella and think that an “unpopular opinion” would be something about how Iggy Pop is the greatest punk-rock singer ever or how Sonic Youth are criminally underappreciated. Of course, neither of these opinions is unpopular among college-educated urbanites working in media and tech. They’re pretty par for the course among the types of coastal elitists who plan their summer vacations around music festivals.
A true aficionado of music is able to appreciate tunes in any form they come in, be it the blistering hardcore of Despise You or the smooth, blue-eyed soul of Phil Collins. And speaking of smooth, blue-eyed soul, I’m going on record as saying that anyone who doesn’t like Hall and Oates has zero right to express an opinion on music.
They’re the litmus test. Does the person you’re talking to actually know anything about music? Or do they just ape whatever Pitchfork is telling them to think this week?
The reason Hall and Oates make for such a compelling litmus test is that you have to be either an idiot or a genius to appreciate them. The tunes are catchy, hearkening back to the best of what made Motown’s poppiest pop great. It’s that simple and that complicated. You can groove on the sugary sweet simplicity of the melody or you can dive down deep into the nuances of the rhythm section and the harmonies. The choice is yours.
But what you can’t do is not like Hall and Oates. And sorry, some ironic karaoke appreciation of them isn’t going to cut the mustard, nor is labeling them a “guilty pleasure.” Though, if you’re not doing “Kiss on My List” at karaoke, you’re kind of fucking up.
If you need to start somewhere, I suggest Private Eyes, though, honestly, you can’t even go wrong with any of their singles collections. They’ve got great deep tracks like “Mano a Mano,” “Portable Radio” and my personal favorite, “Head Above Water.” But they really knock it out of the park on the tracks they were best known for. “Private Eyes” and “Out of Touch” might just be two of the best songs to ever grace the radio, and it's no wonder “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” landed on the top of the R&B charts for a week. Not a lot of white folks have done that in the last 60 years.
But you’re right, Captain Bonnaroo. Radiohead are definitely way better, and you’re mad smart for listening to boring, “difficult” music. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/unpopular-opinion-hall-and-oates-are-the-ultimate-test-of-whether-you-have-any-taste-8599173 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/a86e44f4fca0c15d051431fc41e2f115102c519a921caf3c44b9fd64062fbb60.json |
[
"Nathan Ahles"
] | 2016-08-30T16:50:21 | null | 2016-08-30T08:00:00 | The Arizona Vignerons Alliance will host its first-ever AVA Symposium #WineResearch at The Farm at South Mountain on November 5th, beginning at 9:30 a.m. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Ftickets-are-on-sale-now-for-the-arizona-vignerons-alliance-symposium-wineresearch-8590423.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8597181/arizona-vingerons-alliance-saria.jpg | en | null | Tickets Are On Sale Now For The Arizona Vignerons Alliance Symposium #WineResearch | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | The Arizona Vingerons Alliance is a non-profit organization created to ensure the quality and consistency of Arizona wines. Lauren Saria
After coming together earlier this year, the Arizona Vignerons Alliance, a nonprofit organization created to oversee quality control among Arizona’s wine makers, will host its first educational event later this fall.
On November 5, the AVA will host the first Arizona Vignerons Alliance Symposium #WineResearch at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. The event will focus on education and discovery of Arizona's growing vineyard community with a full day of events including seminars, a wine tasting, and live auction.
Related Stories Arizona Vignerons Alliance Will Vet Arizona Wines For Quality and Origin
The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a coffee and doughnut breakfast and check-in, followed by two educational seminars hosted by experts Pavle Milic and Elaine Chukan Brown. During the seminars, attendees will discuss Arizona’s diverse wine growing regions and the different qualities and tastes they produce.
The event will also include a live auction and Rosé Picnic held in The Farm’s Stone Grove. The day will finish with the Grand Tasting, offering event-goers samples from some of the organization's favorite AVA-certified wines, along with the chance to meet-and-greet with wine makers. The AVA hosted an inaugural launch party and blind judging last May. Utilizing a vetting process, the AVA offered its certified seal of approval to more than 65 Arizona-made wines provided by 17 of the state’s best wineries, including Arizona Hops and Wines, Dos Cabezas WineWorks, and Sand Reckoner Vineyards.
Tickets for the symposium are on sale now through the Arizona Vignerons Alliance website. Attendees can choose from two packages: The Full Magnum, which starts at $165, gives access to both seminars, the Rosé Picnic, and live auction in the Stone Grove, while The Split, $65, includes just the Grand Tasting event at 2 p.m. Tickets will not be available the day of the event.
For more information, check the Arizona Vignerons Alliance website. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/tickets-are-on-sale-now-for-the-arizona-vignerons-alliance-symposium-wineresearch-8590423 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/b621e93d147259933cbda04d9c9b80a402f16281e3c73daf61129287aeb76ea3.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-29T14:49:42 | null | 2016-08-29T07:30:00 | Will Humble, former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, predicts medical-marijuana stores and products could grow scarcer if voters... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fprop-205-could-lead-to-thinner-network-of-az-medical-marijuana-stores-8595642.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8596610/marijuana-flickr-buds-on-table.jpg | en | null | Prop 205 Could Lead to 'Thinner' Network of AZ Medical-Marijuana Stores | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Arizona's medical-marijuana program could be in for substantial changes if voters approve Proposition 205, which makes marijuana legal for all adults 21 and older.
Will Humble, former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, says the impact on patients will depend largely on the director of the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control, a new agency that would be created under the proposed law.
Besides making personal amounts of marijuana legal, Prop 205, also known as the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, would establish a system of cannabis-retail stores within existing medical-marijuana dispensaries. But that's just the start of the renovations to the medical program. Another fundamental difference is that oversight of the medical-marijuana program would transfer from the state DHS to the new agency.
The overall number of marijuana stores in Arizona won't be one of the big changes. Existing nonprofit medical-marijuana dispensaries would get first dibs on the approximately 150 retail-marijuana licenses. Under Prop 205, the 99 dispensaries now operating, along with 31 more the state is in the process of adding, would convert to "reorganized" marijuana establishments — businesses that could sell retail or medical weed.
Card-holding patients wouldn't have to pay the 15 percent excise tax on the sale of retail marijuana. But obtaining a medical-pot card from the state costs about $300 annually — $150 to the state and another $150 on average to the referring physician who writes the recommendation. That means patients will have a decision to make. One possibility: The number of patients plummets as light users decide it's cheaper to skip the fees and pay the tax. If that happens, the nonprofit medical program and the products it offers could be reduced simply owing to the laws of supply and demand.
That's just one way that medical-marijuana patients could see fewer options, Humble says.
"Some of the future retail stores would probably elect not to continue the program, so the network of medical dispensaries would probably be thinner," he predicts.
The biggest factor in the decision of business owners to provide both a retail and a medical system or ditch medical would be the new marijuana department's governing rules, Humble says.
Rules for the medical-marijuana program as it is now were created by the state DHS in 2011, a few months after voters approved the program in a statewide election. About 100,000 Arizonans participate in the program, possessing and using marijuana legally under state law and buying it at the dispensaries.
The rule-making portion of Prop 205 is one of its lengthiest sections. Under the proposal, the Marijuana Licenses and Control agency could ditch the current medical-marijuana rules or continue using a modified version to govern medical sales. It could create new sets of rules for both retail and medical, or one new set of rules that governs both medical and retail sales.
The new rules would have to be adopted no later than September 1, 2017, and would take shape under the leadership of the agency's director, who would be appointed by the governor. The rules would dictate everything about marijuana sales in Arizona: security, transportation, advertising, pesticide testing, the type of inventory-control system used by the stores, and much more. The department, adhering to typical rule-making procedures, would release a draft for public review, then hold public hearings and take recommendations before approving a final version.
Humble says local leaders, activists, and anyone else concerned about the retail-marijuana system would work should get involved in the rule-making process if Prop 205 passes.
In Colorado and Oregon, retail and medical sales are often conducted side by side in the same shop. Washington, though, drew criticism in July when it shuttered medical-marijuana facilities that had not been licensed under the state's new recreational-marijuana law.
If the new director of the Arizona marijuana agency adopts roughly the same rules for the medical program it has now, then Humble foresees minimal impact.
Another possibility is that the new agency puts together new regulations that make it difficult for dispensaries to retain their medical-side sales. Out of convenience or because the money-making potential would be higher, most dispensaries might elect to go strictly retail, Humble says.
Under that scenario, patients would be forced to drive much farther for their cannabidiol-heavy weed or medicated skin lotion, only to be hit with the insult-to-injury excise tax.
Of course, patients could choose to grow their own marijuana, freed from the existing restriction that prohibits personal cultivation within 25 miles of an operating dispensary. And if demand dictated a need, for-profit retail stores likely would begin carrying a wide variety of products to attract customers — meaning medical patients would be able to find what they need.
Jason Medar, leader of a pro-cannabis, anti-Prop 205 campaign, states on his website and in official campaign literature that the medical-marijuana program "could be DESTROYED in 2016!" Medar notes that the new, seven-member Marijuana Commission, of which three members must be principals in Arizona dispensaries, would help run the department.
"Allowing the people who make the MONEY to also make the RULES is a serious CONFLICT OF INTEREST!" Medar's literature blares.
But in reality, the Marijuana Commission would have no power to veto or approve the rules. Its role is explicitly defined in the law and is restricted, for the most part, to approving or denying retail licenses.
Humble believes the new law could not dismantle the 2010 law, the essentials of which are protected by the 1998 Voter Protection Act. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/prop-205-could-lead-to-thinner-network-of-az-medical-marijuana-stores-8595642 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/68cfee106ce3925d7a887a1f35969ea1a21c714bd1555c8bad3ead4ce9e3dae5.json |
[
"Elizabeth Stuart"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:42 | null | 2016-08-31T07:03:00 | The Arizona Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision dismissing a lawsuit that challenged the validity of signatures gathered in support of... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Farizona-supreme-court-tosses-attempt-to-block-minimum-wage-ballot-initiative-8600071.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8602485/fight_or_15_-_01.jpg | en | null | Arizona Supreme Court Tosses Attempt to Block Minimum-Wage Ballot Initiative | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Workers rally in Tempe for a minimum wage raise in 2015. Elizabeth Stuart
A ballot initiative to raise Arizona's minimum wage has (once again) been cleared for a vote in November.
The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an earlier decision to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the validity of signatures gathered in support of the initiative, Proposition 206, which proposes to increase wages incrementally from $8.05 to $12 by 2020.
"The Arizona Restaurant Association pulled out every stop in an effort to try to kill this and they failed," said Bill Scheel, campaign manager for Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families, the group pushing the initiative.
The next step for the group, which lost "a very stressful" month of campaign time because of the lawsuit, is to begin "ramping up" promotional efforts, Scheel said. Campaigners hope to knock 400,000 doors by election day.
"Arizona voters like these policies, and we are thrilled they will finally get the opportunity to vote for them," he said.
Arizona Restaurant Association president and CEO Steve Churci, in a statement, criticized the court for throwing out the lawsuit on a "narrow technicality."
"The laws that are in place to protect voters and the initiative process from noncompliant political committees and petition circulators exist for a reason, and the court's ruling overlooks those important interests in favor of a technicality," Churci said. "Arizona's voters and the state's small businesses are the ones truly harmed by permitting this insufficient initiative to go to ballot."
A Maricopa County Court judge identified problems with tens of thousands of the signatures Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families submitted in support of the campaign. Had the suit prevailed, the signatures would have been determined invalid and Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families would have fallen short of the 150,642 required to get the minimum-wage hike on the ballot.
Ultimately, however, the judge dismissed the case because the Arizona Restaurant Association had filed suit too late.
Challengers must file a lawsuit no more than five days after the deadline to submit signatures. The Arizona Restaurant Association, arguing that legislators who wrote the law intended to allow five business days, had waited seven days.
Arizona places stricter regulations on the use of paid, out-of-state circulators than nearly any other state, Andrew Chavez, owner of Petition Partners, told New Times. Each year, the rules, which stipulate everything from the dimensions of the paper campaigners must use to collect signatures to the format they must use to write the date, get more complicated.
Legislators tout the nitpicky rules as a fraud-prevention tool. But critics describe them as a political tool.
This year, for the first time, challengers were allowed to issue subpoenas to circulators if they suspected the workers were not properly authorized to collect signatures or had not correctly filed their paperwork.
Lawyers for the Arizona Restaurant Association summoned more than 80 circulators to court. Half didn't show up, so the signatures they collected, amounting to more than 50,000, were automatically invalidated.
Likewise, some signatures were tossed because circulators failed to register with the secretary of state before hitting the streets. Some circulators made paperwork errors, such as listing the wrong year or leaving off an apartment number.
"We are happy the state Supreme Court saw through the petty tactics of the Arizona Restaurant Association and cleared the way for voters to decide on an initiative designed to improve the lives of our fellow citizens," said Tomas Robles, former director of LUCHA (Living United for Change in Arizona) who now chairs the campaign for Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-supreme-court-tosses-attempt-to-block-minimum-wage-ballot-initiative-8600071 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/f0a3628528865c678bf118e011373842eccb55490c3d76e978d68fadddd182a1.json |
[
"Lauren Saria"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:58 | null | 2016-08-25T08:00:00 | Erin Romanoff may have started her career as a pastry chef, but over the years she discovered her true love: creating colorful, nutritious vegetarian food. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Ferin-romanoff-of-the-uprooted-kitchen-on-bergies-ruchi-and-her-scone-recipe-8583124.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8583125/erin-romanoff.jpg | en | null | Erin Romanoff of The Uprooted Kitchen on Bergies, Ruchi, and Her Scone Recipe | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Erin Romanoff with husband, Chad, and their boys, Jonah and Cole. Photo Credit: Siegel Thurston Photography
From now until we publish the 2016 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times is naming 100 Tastemakers — members of our local culinary community who help shape the way we eat, drink, and think about food in Phoenix. Some you'll know, and for others, it'll be a first introduction, but each person on our list deserves a nod for helping make our city so delicious. Oh, and while you're here, be sure to check out our list of 100 Creatives.
34. Erin Romanoff of the uprooted kitchen
Erin Romanoff may have started her career as a pastry chef, but over the years she discovered her true love: preparing colorful, nutritious vegetarian food. That's why in 2012, she and her husband, Chad, launched the uprooted kitchen, a vegetarian food truck, in the East Valley. The truck's success has recently allowed the couple to put down permanent roots in Gilbert, where they'll be opening a restaurant as a part of the Barnone project at Agritopia.
My go-to place for coffee in Phoenix is Bergies in Gilbert.
The best kept secret in Phoenix is Ruchi, a vegetarian south Indian restaurant in Chandler.
The recipe I’m most proud of is probably my scone recipe, because it was the first uprooted kitchen recipe that I created. But honestly, my recipes are like my kids; I can’t really choose my favorite.
My three favorite kitchen tools are my microplane, my mortar and pestle, and my hands.
The most memorable meal I’ve ever had was probably one made by my husband. He made me an Aloo Gobi Cheese Crisp on our food truck. He set up a “private” dining table on the truck for our anniversary — and we had turmeric carrot ginger kombucha and cardamom coffee date cookies as well. Meals made by Chad are always the most memorable because he normally doesn't cook, but they are made with so much love and he is really good at it.
The 2016 Tastemakers so far:
100. Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis and Phoenix Public Market Cafe
99. Ross Simon of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
98. Debby Wolvos of DW Photography
97. Anibal and Salem Beyene of Café Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
96. Bo Mostow of Uptown Farmers Market
95. Julian Wright of Pedal Haus Brewery
94. Stephen Jones of The Larder + The Delta
93. Eric Glomski of Page Spring Cellars
92. Richard Bock of Giuseppe's on 28th
91. Walter Sterling of Ocotillo
90. Daniel Sevilla of Angry Crab Shack
89. Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe
88. LaDawn Driscoll of Liberty Market
87. Jason Calhoon of The Shop Beer Co. and Side Kick Cold Brew
86. Tim and Kim Cobb of United Lunchadores Street Gourmet
85. Micah Olson of Bar Crudo and Okra Cookhouse and Cocktails
84. Paola Embry of Christopher's + Crush and The Wrigley Mansion
83. Jared Porter of The Clever Koi
82. Diane Corieri of Evening Entertainment Group
81. Erich Schultz of Steadfast Farm
80. Jeff and Leah Huss of Huss Brewing Company
79. Aaron Pool of Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup
78. Diana Santospago of The Maine Lobster Lady food truck
77. Gio Osso of Virtu Honest Craft and Nico Heirloom Kitchen
76. Lauren Bailey of Upward Projects
75. Rodney Hu of Arizona Distilling Company and Yucca Tap Room
74. Jacob Cutino of Homeboy's Hot Sauce
73. Country and Sergio Velador of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats
72. Dean Thomas of Cornish Pasty Co.
71. Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus
70. Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ
69. Jared Allen of Proof Artisan Breads
68. Steve McFate of McFate Brewing Company
67. Mel Mecinas of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
66. Jessa and Dan Koppenhofer of Gilbert Farmers Market
65. Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks
64. Ryan Probst of Odelay Bagel Co.
63. Diana Brandt of AZFoodie
62. Benjamin Butler of Hayden Flour Mills
61. Jim and Maureen Elitzak of Zak's Chocolate
60. Michael Babcock of Welcome Diner and Welcome Chicken + Donuts
59. Nick Ambeliotis of Mediterra Bakehouse
58. Peter Kasperski of Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar
57. Kimber Stonehouse of LGO Hospitality
56. David Tyda of EATERAZ and Arizona Taco Festival
55. Pavle Milic of FnB
54. Pat Christofolo of Santa Barbara Catering Company and The Farm at South Mountain
53. Brandon Casey of The Ostrich
52. Jonathan Buford of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
51. Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots
50. Rob Fullmer of Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
49. Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys of AZ Bitters Lab
48. Ramona Button of Ramona Farms
47. Justin Piazza of La Piazza Al Forno and La Piazza PHX
46. Andrew Gooi of Food Talkies
45. Jason Raducha of Noble Bread and Noble Eatery
44. Ty Largo of Awe Collective
43. Christopher Gross of Christopher's and Crush Lounge
42. Heidi Lee of Into The Soup
41. ET Rivera of Tres Leches Cafe
40. Monika Woolsey of Hip Veggies
39. Bobby Kramer of The Brickyard
38. Jenna Reeves of Press Coffee Roasters
37. Sarah Chisholm of Phoenix Public Market Cafe
36. Bill Kennedy of Futuro
35. Jan Bracamonte of J. Lauren PR & Marketing | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/erin-romanoff-of-the-uprooted-kitchen-on-bergies-ruchi-and-her-scone-recipe-8583124 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/255596b85f85c5119b75b5926170cae43c971ba36c1bef8251d6a223e9ad17c3.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:36 | null | 2016-08-29T08:41:00 | It's all in the concept, says the man behind some of Phoenix's most memorable music videos. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fmatty-steinkamp-of-sundawg-media-shares-what-makes-a-great-music-video-8575597.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8596646/mattysteinkamp-pressphoto-hires.jpg | en | null | Matty Steinkamp on What Makes a Good Music Video | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Matty Steinkamp is responsible for some of the most memorable music videos to come out of the music scene. Courtesy of Matty Steinkamp
The music scene doesn't happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar, some new . Be sure to check out our 100 Tastemakers and 100 Creatives as well.
If you're a fan of music videos coming out of the local scene, there's no doubt you've heard the name Matty Steinkamp.
Steinkamp, through his company Sundawg Media, is responsible for some of the most memorable visuals to come out of Phoenix during the past three years. With top-notch production and novel ideas that span from the modest to the full-out surreal, Steinkamp has shown that there is little he can't do with a video camera. His list of clients reads like a who's-who of the local music scene with artists like decker., Luna Aura, Captain Squeegee, The Pistoleros, Taylor Upsahl, and more tapping the director for their music videos.
He also recently debuted a project called Play: The Documentary, which featured decker, Upsahl, and other local artists and aimed to inspire more people to play music.
So how did Steinkamp get to this point? He grew up in Phoenix and went to Northern Arizona University around the turn of the millennium. After college he bounced around the country for a few years after that before landing back in Phoenix for good in 2006. Then he managed bars for a few years and started his own label, Sundawg Records, that he operated from 2007 to 2012. In 2009, he started making music videos for some of the artists on his label, and it spiraled into its own business from there.
"I enjoy creating a visual concept for my friends music," Steinkamp says. "I like creating small movies in a sense. I want to in some ways make a positive impact on people with my concepts."
But in the end, Steinkamp defers, a good music video must have a good song behind it.
"I feel a great idea/concept outweighs a great camera, if that makes sense," he says. "I do think it's all about the editing. I think there many ways that I judge music videos but that usually is only if the song is great. If the song sucks it's hard for me to get into the video. But I think that's how everyone is with their personal tastes, and that's what makes music so awesome. Not everyone likes the same type of music."
What makes a good song? It has a Great hook, great singable melodies, great beat, or anything written by Prince, Paul McCartney, Rivers Cuomo, and Bob Marley.
What's your favorite local music venue, living or dead? Last Exit Live. No small venue sounds better in the Southwest, and I have heard that from hundreds of touring and local bands over the last three years since it opened.
What's your favorite local band? Of all time: What Laura Says. Four years ago: Mergence. Currently: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, The Haymarket Squares, Captain Squeegee.
What do you think the music scene needs most? I think it needs more bands, more fans, more radio stations, more music stores, and more publications talking about all of that everyday.
Who do you admire most in the music scene? Danny Torgersen of Captain Squeegee, Fayuca, and plays trumpet with everyone. He gets paid to play and sing everyday of his life and he is just killing it!
The 2016 Noisemakers so far:
25. Matty Steinkamp | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/matty-steinkamp-of-sundawg-media-shares-what-makes-a-great-music-video-8575597 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2dd5ba04f09697fd39963e26fa36a63ea223ce3a905942af85c510cbeb271b33.json |
[
"Lynn Trimble",
"Amy Young",
"Janessa Hilliard",
"Lauren Cusimano",
"Rob Kroehler"
] | 2016-08-29T16:50:11 | null | 2016-08-29T08:00:00 | New Times' guide to the best things to do in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa this week, including Arizona's Funniest Comedian, Jen Kirkman, and "Paper... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fhere-are-the-best-things-to-do-in-metro-phoenix-this-week-8590383.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8590396/jen-kirkman-by-robyn-von-swank.jpg | en | null | Here Are the Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Grand Canyon, 1932. Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon National Park.
New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Monday, August 30, through Thursday, September 1. For more events, see our curated online calendar.
"Find Your Park in Arizona"
Traveling by commercial airline will get you more than 30,000 feet in the air. But you don’t have to board a plane to get a terrific view, and maybe even a natural high, thanks to a free exhibition at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 3400 East Sky Harbor Boulevard.
“Find Your Park in Arizona” features photographs and historic artifacts representing National Parks throughout the state. Visit the museum art gallery in Terminal 4 on Monday, August 29, and you can celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, with National Park Rangers well-versed in the 22 National Parks located right here in Arizona.
The exhibit continues 24 hours a day through January 29, 2017. Visit www.skyharbor.com/museum. Lynn Trimble
Hear Hasan Minjah's story. Courtesy of Mesa Arts Center
Hasan Minhaj
Lately, when you don’t see Hasan Minhaj on The Daily Show (as, for example, Senior Congressional Correspondent or Senior Indian Correspondent), the comedian’s probably touring with his solo show, Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King. More storytelling memoir than stand-up, the performance charts the ups and downs of relocating from India to the U.S., social isolation and bullying, romance, family, and finding one’s calling. While the show does impart enlightenment and life lessons, it’s also extremely funny — which you might expect from the person who delivered a report called “Donald Trump: The White ISIS.”
Sit down with Minhaj at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 30, in the Piper Repertory Theater at Mesa Arts Center, One East Main Street. Tickets are $35 to $45 at 480-644-6500 or www.mesaartscenter.com. Julie Peterson
Stories and songs come together at the Coronado. Eelke/Flickr Creative Commons
Vinyl Voices
It’s no secret that downtown Phoenix has blossomed in recent years. Countless renovations, restorations, and new additions have yielded a vintage redu,x along with a burgeoning urban identity. But if you hop just north of the interstate into Willo and Coronado, things go from urban to urbane in a hurry, although there’s nothing hurried about it. Vinyl Voices: Storytelling & Record Sharing at The Coronado, 2201 North Seventh Street, is one such example. The vinyl crackles and the whiskey flows as locals settle in for a story and selected song from featured community members. The floors might creak, but events like this one offer a peaceful reprieve from the bustling city below. Stop in from 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30. You’ll feel right at home during the free, 21-and-over event. Visit www.thecoronadophx.com or call 602-252-1322 for details. Rob Kroehler
EXPAND Yasss girls. Fernando Hernandez/NightFuse
Ladies '80s
All those years of memorizing and practicing the lyrics to “Walk Like an Egyptian” and Blondie’s “Rapture” are finally going to pay off. It’s Ladies '80s – a monthly, literally underground dance party – where DJs spin lady-singer faves like Madonna, Cyndi, Paula, Dolly, Barbra, and Bette. And here’s where we answer your first question: Yes, men are allowed to go.
Doors open at 8 p.m. for the 21-and-over dance party at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue, on Wednesday, August 31. Entrance is free. Be prepared to sing along to Exposé and Berlin with the crowd while sporting multiple headbands – you’ll need them when things turn sweaty.
For more information, put on Janet Jackson’s Control, or visit www.valleybarphx.com and see www.facebook.com/events/1001277829991001. Lauren Cusimano | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/here-are-the-best-things-to-do-in-metro-phoenix-this-week-8590383 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/bf7371544c6fca66fc59060aa8a973d16b75d848d6ac4e2f99ac829097ea66da.json |
[
"Stephen Lemons"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:33 | null | 2016-08-31T06:03:00 | Ex-Phoenix police officer Sergio Virgillo broke through the blue wall of silence and helped convict killer cop Rich Chrisman, incurring the wrath of... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fblue-lies-matter-ex-phoenix-cop-sergio-virgillo-told-the-truth-about-killer-cop-richard-chrisman-inciting-the-wrath-of-local-police-union-plea-8600030.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8600032/blue-wall-brianstauffer.jpg | en | null | Blue Lies Matter: Ex-Phoenix Cop Sergio Virgillo Told the Truth About Killer Cop Richard Chrisman, Inciting the Wrath of Local Police Union PLEA | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Illustration by Brian Stauffer
Former Phoenix police officer Sergio Virgillo remembers the point of no return for what should have been a routine call to a trailer park in South Phoenix, when fellow cop Richard Chrisman took his Glock 22 and pressed it so hard against the temple of Daniel Rodriguez that it bent Rodriguez’s head to one side.
Chrisman and Rodriguez had been “going at it verbally,” Virgillo explained during an exclusive interview with New Times about the tragic events of October 5, 2010. With Virgillo close behind, Chrisman had just opened the unlocked door of a small mobile home, encountering two barking dogs and Rodriguez.
The two officers wanted to interview Rodriguez about domestic violence allegations by Rodriguez’s mother. Rodriguez resented the intrusion. He hollered at the cops to get the fuck out of his home, telling them they didn’t have a warrant to be inside his residence.
Virgillo, a thin, intense man with sharp features and closely cropped, graying hair, said during a recent conversation at a local cafe that Chrisman put the gun to Rodriguez’s left temple, telling the 29-year-old, “We don’t need a fucking search warrant.”
The officer holstered his weapon, but it was too late. As a jury would later conclude, Chrisman had just committed aggravated assault. Chrisman’s action shocked Virgillo, who had been on the force for 14 years by that time, compared to Chrisman’s 10. Before that day, despite many years working patrol, Virgillo told New Times that he had “never seen an officer put a gun to somebody’s head.”
Chrisman had crossed a neon-bright line, and Virgillo believes he knew it, leading to what happened next: a struggle that involved the use of Tasers and pepper spray, with Chrisman ultimately shooting and killing Rodriguez’s pit bull, Junior, seconds before turning the gun again on Rodriguez, firing at point-blank range and hitting him twice in the chest.
Afterward, Chrisman donned plastic gloves in order to cuff Rodriguez, but Virgillo told him to forget it. Rodriguez was dead.
Investigators soon arrived on the scene, and Chrisman clammed up, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. At trial, Chrisman’s defense would be that Virgillo had abandoned him, leaving him alone to battle a violent suspect, whom the medical examiner’s autopsy would reveal to be high on meth. Fearing for his life, Chrisman said he had no choice but to kill Rodriguez and the dog in self-defense.
Former Phoenix cop Sergio Virgillo now works as an investigator for the county public defender’s office. Stephen Lemons
But on a walk-through at the crime scene on the day of the incident, Virgillo told investigators that neither the dog nor Rodriguez posed a threat to the officers. Rather, Chrisman was the aggressor, and when Rodriguez grabbed his bike and tried to leave, Chrisman first shot the dog, then Rodriguez.
After hearing Virgillo’s version of events, police arrested Chrisman at the scene for aggravated assault. A week later, a Maricopa County grand jury indicted Chrisman for that charge, as well as second-degree murder and cruelty to animals.
Following a 23-day trial in 2013, a jury found Chrisman guilty of aggravated assault, deadlocking on the other two charges. Rather than face a retrial, Chrisman pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving a seven-year prison term in the Arizona Department of Corrections. His attorney, Craig Mehrens, declined comment for this story.
Chrisman is eligible for parole in three years, but Virgillo faces a life sentence of sorts — the hatred of some cops, who see him as a “rat” for breaking the blue wall of silence. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the city’s powerful police union, painted Virgillo as a coward who refused to help subdue a suspect. PLEA also went after Virgillo’s wife, and in a weird twist of fate, he was sued unsuccessfully by Rodriguez’s family when their lawsuit against the city of Phoenix failed.
Virgillo has since resigned from the force and now works as an investigator for the county public defender’s office, where, he said, he has never been happier. He agreed to revisit the dark days of the shooting, the trial, and its aftermath with New Times, lending insight into the use of force by law enforcement and the perils of acting on one’s conscience.
Also, in the course of reporting this story, New Times obtained previously unreleased Phoenix Police Department documents that belie Chrisman’s testimony at trial, and indicate that some members of PLEA may have been aware that Chrisman’s account of the incident was bogus, even as they doubled down on defending him in public.
Virgillo says he’s often told that he doesn’t “look like a cop,” and he doesn’t. He is lean, not beefy, a build born of running at least an hour every day for around the last 30 years or so, ever since he took up the exercise during a stint in the Army after high school.
Becoming a cop was not a natural progression for him. Raised in the East Valley, his father was originally from Italy and became a professor of Romance languages at Arizona State University. His mother taught French at a local high school. After three years in the Army to help pay for school, he majored in justice studies at ASU, graduating in 1996.
He says he was interested in the criminal-justice system but had not thought seriously about being a cop until he took the Phoenix police exam on a whim, did well, and scored a spot in the police academy. He spent most of his career on patrol, about four and a half years in the Phoenix Central Corridor’s Squaw Peak Precinct (since renamed Mountain View Precinct) and three and a half in South Phoenix’s South Mountain Precinct.
He trained rookie cops in the field, and spent time training at the academy as well. He had stints in the Drug Enforcement and Professional Standards bureaus. He also worked on the Vice and Domestic Violence units.
Virgillo enjoyed being a cop, and apparently, he was good at it. In the lengthy police report for the Chrisman shooting, Virgillo’s supervisor described him as “the consummate professional” and as having “high integrity.” A former supervisor interviewed for the report called him “an all-around solid officer.”
An autopsy photo showing two bullet wounds in Danny Rodriguez’s chest. Maricopa County Medical Examiner
In general, his personnel record was spotless, though after the shooting, CBS 5 News reported that Virgillo’s wife, Maria, had been found guilty in 2008 for her participation in a drug-smuggling ring that involved her brother. She received three years of probation. The PPD’s own investigation, which included wiretaps, showed that Virgillo, then a detective with the Drug Enforcement Bureau, knew nothing of his wife’s activities. In 2012, a superior court judge granted Maria’s request to have her felony conviction set aside.
By contrast, Chrisman’s history with the department was checkered. Though his personnel record contained some supervisor praise and notices of commendation, Chrisman landed himself on the so-called “Brady list” — a database of local cops whose past bad behavior, by law, must be revealed to the defense in any criminal trial — for an egregious 2005 incident, captured by a security camera, that showed Chrisman and other officers planting a crack pipe on a homeless, mentally ill black woman.
Chrisman and the other cops involved told investigators it was a “joke,” and claimed they didn’t charge the woman for possessing the crack pipe. In the video, Chrisman is seen handing the drug paraphernalia to a female officer, who puts it down the homeless woman’s dress, then pretends to find it. Chrisman was docked a day’s pay for the crack-pipe caper. There were a few other incidents in his personnel file, though none as serious.
Both officers were on the same squad in South Phoenix, 42 Adam, and had been on some calls together, but the two men were not partners. Ironically, on the morning of the shooting, both Chrisman and Virgillo had taken the same police-sponsored photography class, and ended up having lunch together at a Vietnamese restaurant. They talked generally about their families, Virgillo recalled in his interview with New Times.
Virgillo said the first call he responded to that day was the Casa de Francisco Mobile Home Park, where his and Chrisman’s lives would change forever.
Rodriguez’s mother, Elvira Fernandez, had called 911 from a neighbor’s trailer, complaining about her son. She explained that about 15 minutes earlier, she had told Rodriguez to turn his music down and stop cussing. In response, Rodriguez “threw something at me and hit the wall and made a hole in the wall.”
Fernandez sounded calm, though tearful, throughout the call, telling the operator that “I’m afraid he’s going to hurt me, he’s hurt me before,” and that she was “in fear for my life.” She also told the dispatcher that there were no guns in the house, and that, “I just want him to leave ... I can’t take it anymore.”
Richard Chrisman was convicted of aggravated assault and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of Danny Rodriguez; he’s eligible for parole in 2019. Arizona Department of Corrections
Virgillo and Chrisman arrived separately, making contact with Fernandez at her neighbor’s trailer. They crossed into the property next door, where Fernandez and her son lived. The officers knocked on the door and windows, but no one answered. They went back to the neighbor’s trailer, and Fernandez gave them permission to enter her home, telling them the door was unlocked.
They returned to trailer No. 51, where Chrisman again knocked on the door, but still received no reply, so he turned the doorknob and stepped in.
Two dogs ran toward the door barking, and Virgillo, who was right behind Chrisman, said he could see Rodriguez coming toward them from the back of the trailer, challenging them, cursing angrily. Which is when Virgillo says Chrisman stuck his gun to Rodriguez’s head.
They had already decided that Chrisman was the “contact” officer on the call, with Virgillo acting as “cover” officer, whose duty was to observe and watch for threats. If the roles had been reversed at the beginning, the outcome would have been different, Virgillo explains.
“I would never have gone in,” Virgillo tells New Times. “That’s just not an intelligent thing to do. There’s no felony crime afoot. You have an allegation at best that a misdemeanor offense may have been committed.”
The smart thing would have been to go back and talk to Fernandez, seeing if anything her son had done rose to the level of a felony. If so, he and Chrisman could have assessed the danger, called a supervisor, maybe even treated it as a “barricade situation,” and called for backup. On the other hand, if there had been no felony to act upon, Fernandez had options, such as taking out an order of protection against her son.
But when Chrisman placed his gun to Rodriguez’s head, Virgillo says he had no choice but to try to help Chrisman take Rodriguez into custody. He claims he and Chrisman each grabbed one of Rodriguez’s arms, but he slipped from their grasp. Chrisman then sprayed Rodriguez in the face with pepper spray, but it barely affected him, perhaps because of the meth in his system.
Instead, the fumes nearly knocked out Virgillo, who says his throat closed up, forcing him outside for a minute or two to catch his breath before going back into the trailer’s small, 13-by-15-foot living room, dense with clutter.
There Rodriguez continued to resist arrest by pulling away from Chrisman. Virgillo yelled at Chrisman to Tase Rodriguez, which Chrisman did, but the Taser’s metal prongs failed to connect. Chrisman tried what’s called “drive stunning” Rodriguez by applying the Taser directly to his midsection. This, too, was unsuccessful.
Virgillo then fired his Taser at Rodriguez, with the probes hitting Rodriguez, laying him flat as the electric current coursed through his body. After a few seconds, Rodriguez got right back up, tearing the probes from his chest.
With nothing else working, Virgillo decided to go back to “square one,” or what should have been square one. He tried to de-escalate the situation, asking Rodriguez to step outside, promising to take him wherever he wanted to go.
Virgillo told New Times that he wanted to get Rodriguez out of his environment, outside the trailer, where Virgillo and Chrisman could better control the situation. But before this could happen, both Rodriguez and his dog were dead. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/blue-lies-matter-ex-phoenix-cop-sergio-virgillo-told-the-truth-about-killer-cop-richard-chrisman-inciting-the-wrath-of-local-police-union-plea-8600030 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1f9ac0bb80030b2ae1dca099a0dd4ae6f39354044e57c342ccebc2328bfdeff2.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-30T16:49:49 | null | 2016-08-30T08:35:00 | Vinyl Station, Elvis Before Noon, and others will give free shows at the mall. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fscottsdale-quarter-announces-lineup-of-free-fall-concert-series-8599152.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8599164/vinyl-station.png | en | null | Free Concert Series Announced for Scottsdale Quarter | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND You can catch Vinyl Station at the Scottsdale Quarter for free in a few weeks. Courtesy of Vinyl Station
Cool weather is just around the corner, Phoenix, and with it, the opportunity to actually walk outside.
Scottsdale Quarter, the fancy mall up north on Scottsdale Road and Main Street, is preparing for the cool temps by throwing together a weekly concert series starting September 10 and featuring bands that will play the Quad, the central area in the mall.
The music will start and 5 p.m. and go until 7 p.m.
Here's the lineup so far:
Saturday, September 10: Rock Lobster
Saturday, September 17: Elvis Before Noon
Saturday, September 24: Ryan Simms
Saturday, October 1: Crown Kings
Saturday, October 8: Vinyl Station
Saturday, October 15: Elvis Before Noon
Saturday, October 22: The Rave – British Invasion | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/scottsdale-quarter-announces-lineup-of-free-fall-concert-series-8599152 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/c3db6281aecb6e027665ef9a4e0e3a5136df6ef14f8bfa57b97c661117aac15f.json |
[
"Lynn Trimble"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:53 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 | Arizona State University's Performance in the Borderlands 2016-17 season includes shows at Crescent Ballroom, Mesa Arts Center, and Phoenix Center for... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fasus-performance-in-the-borderlands-to-showcase-voices-of-power-in-metro-phoenix-8581450.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8581460/jr-asuperformanceintheborderlands-marthagonzales.jpg | en | null | ASU Performance in the Borderlands 2016-17 Season Announced | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Grammy Award winner Martha Gonzales. ASU Performance in the Borderlands
Performance in the Borderlands, an Arizona State University initiative addressing the intersection of arts and culture with border-related issues, recently announced its 2016-17 season.
The season includes a robust lineup of artists working in visual art, theater, dance, and music. Its theme, “Voices of Power,” reflects a focus on women of color in the arts, and their role in affecting social justice within and beyond border communities.
Mary Stephens, producing director for Performance in the Borderlands, describes this season as her favorite to date. “This is a dynamic season that brings artists and cultural workers from both sides of the border together to change the politics and perceptions of the Sonoran Desert,” Stephens says.
EXPAND Performance artist Yadira De La Riva. ASU Performance in the Borderlands
Performance in the Borderlands launched during the 2003-04 season, and has engaged artists from Mexico, Argentina, California, and Arizona in exploring such issues as immigration, LGBTQ rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
This season kicks off with Grammy Award-winner Martha Gonzales, whose public conversation and music demonstration at Phoenix Center for the Arts happens on September 13. The event includes a panel discussion with Liz Lerman, Jaclyn Roessel, Marlon Bailey, and Monica de la Torre.
After that is Oasis, comprising an art installation and performances by Ana Teresa Fernandez, whose previous work includes symbolically erasing the U.S.-Mexico border by painting a portion of border fence to match the blue sky above it. Her site-specific installation at the Rio Salado Project on September 24 and 25 addresses land displacement, immigration, and water usage in the desert. It includes performances by several Arizona artists, including Raji Ganesan, Rashaad Thomas, Leah Marche, and Liliana Gomez.
Visual artist Ana Teresa Fernàndez. Deanna Dent/ASU Now
“We hope the season helps people recognize the contribution of women of color in the arts and brings a deeper awareness of the politics of place,” Stephens says. “This year we’re really interested in showcasing the work of women as political activists and visionaries.”
October offerings include a bi-national artist residency by Yadira De La Riva focused on theater as a tool for social engagement. In November, Performance in the Borderlands presents Nogales, a performance piece using theater, media, and masks to explore Jose Antonio’s 2012 death along the border, at Mesa Arts Center. Also in November, Performance in the Borderlands presents Lluvia Flamenca, featuring local and international artists including Angelina Ramirez, at Crescent Ballroom.
It’s important to showcase Arizona as an incredible place of artistic production, Stephens says, adding, “So often, we hear of Arizona as a place things go to die.”
DJ and music activist Lynnée Denise. ASU Performance in the Borderlands
In January 2017, DJ Lynnée Denise will share a performative lecture rooted in her work on Afro-futurism, DJ essays, and theories of African diaspora. And in May, Performance in the Borderlands will close its 2016-17 season with Más, a docudrama written by California playwright Milta Ortis, whose Disengaged play developed with Rising Youth Theatre premièred in Phoenix during 2014. Más was inspired by Tucson Unified School District's ban several years ago of ethnic studies classes.
Despite its focus on border-related issues, Performance in the Borderlands has implications far beyond the U.S.-Mexico border, says Tamika Lamb, a longtime collaborator with the ASU initiative and lead partner for this year's bi-national artist residency. Performance in the Borderlands presses people to dialogue about things like gender, religion, and geography that too often separate and divide them, she says.
“It helps people be open and look at the physical and invisible barriers in their lives, and talk about ways we can all come together,” Lamb says. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/asus-performance-in-the-borderlands-to-showcase-voices-of-power-in-metro-phoenix-8581450 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1b2f9212e6cc46b8d1ef1fd7398f150cde20082d9e7fd185ec23e7f65fae96a6.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-30T12:49:54 | null | 2016-08-30T05:20:00 | The FBI believes that the infiltration in late June of Arizona voter-registration databases may be linked to foreign hackers who stole data from an... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Ffbi-links-cyberattacks-on-arizona-and-illinois-voter-registration-data-to-foreign-hackers-8598395.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8598397/computer-hacker-arizona-fbi.jpg | en | null | FBI Links Cyberattacks on Arizona and Illinois Voter-Registration Data to Foreign Hackers | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Arizona officials say a hacker tried to gain access to voter-registration information in June but was stopped by a security measure. Blue Coat Photos via Flickr
The FBI believes that the infiltration in late June of Arizona voter-registration databases may be linked to foreign hackers who stole data from an Illinois election site, Yahoo News reported on Monday.
Michael Isikoff, Yahoo's chief investigative correspondent, reported that he'd obtained an FBI warning about cyberattacks on elections databases in two states. He confirmed through a source that the states were Illinois and Arizona.
The online article received nationwide attention on Monday, even though much of the story had already been reported. Isikoff's story, based on a disturbing FBI alert about the two attacks, touched nerves that were already frayed following the bombshell leak last month of Democratic National Committee e-mails, a debacle that resulted in the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The Arizona Secretary of State's Office revealed news of the hack back in late June and early July, reporting that it was a serious attack, the FBI was investigating, and that no data had been stolen. The Illinois hack, which shut down the Illinois voter registration for nearly two weeks, was covered by the news media when it happened in mid-July. Isikoff's story reveals that hackers had penetrated and copied voter information for about 200,000 Illinois residents.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary talked to state election officials, (though none from Arizona), in mid-August about cyber-security for the coming elections. Via Wikimedia Commons
The events in Arizona and Illinois sparked so much concern that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson spoke with state elections officials in a conference call on August 15, trying to assuage fears of a massive Election Day cyberattack and offering up federal experts who could visit election sites and make recommendations for security improvements.
Three days after the phone call, Isikoff reported, the FBI issued its bulletin. Entitled "Targeting Activity Against State Board of Election Systems," the alert stated that the FBI was investigating two computer attacks and listed eight IP addresses — unique numbers assigned to every computer and device using the internet — that were linked to the hacks. One of those IP addresses was used in both attacks.
"The FBI is requesting that states contact their Board of Elections and determine if any similar activity to their logs, both inbound and outbound, has been detected," the alert states. "Attempts should not be made to touch or ping the IP addresses directly."
One of the IP addresses "has surfaced before in Russian criminal underground hacker forums," according to an expert quoted in Isikoff's article. The hacks in Illinois and Arizona should be seen as a "wake-up call" for elections officials, Tom Hicks, the chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, told Isikoff.
The FBI won't comment on specific alerts but does acknowledge that it reveals information to "private industry" of cyber threats, says Matthew Reinsmoen, a special agent with the agency's Phoenix office.
"This data is provided in order to help systems administrators guard against the actions of persistent cyber criminals," reads a statement Reinsmoen sent to New Times on Monday. "As you may know, in July, we confirmed that the FBI's Cyber Crimes Unit did alert the state to a potential computer compromise. Due to the sensitive nature of these investigations we will not elaborate further on the matter."
Matt Roberts, spokesman for Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan, said media outlets around the world was calling to find out what was going on, but that the story was actually old news. Because the FBI won't comment, officials can't be certain Arizona is one of the two states mentioned in the alert, he said.
But a serious breach did occur, apparently tied to Russian hackers.
FBI officials notified the Arizona Department of Administration in late June of a serious threat to voter-registration records — an "eight" on a scale of one to ten as threats go, Roberts said.
Malicious software was downloaded onto a Maricopa County Elections Department computer, where it apparently recorded the keystrokes of the computer user and gleaned the user's password-protected login information. The hacker put the county employee's username and password on the internet. Not long after, the information was used to gain access to the voter information. But the county uses two levels of computer security for access to that information, and the hacker was unable to get past that second level. Roberts declined to discuss the details of that second-level security.
The FBI's revelation of a breach in June spurred the state to take its online voter-registration apparatus offline for almost a week while the system was inspected.
"We wanted to make sure that info wasn't being corrupted if there was a bug in it," Roberts explained. Users wouldn't have noticed, because all the new registrations went into a queue that was processed when the system was put back online.
The shutdown affected a page on the Secretary of State's website where Clean Elections candidates can solicit $5 contributions that allow them to collect public money to run their campaigns.
Roberts said the inspection proved the malware hadn't infected any other computers at Maricopa County Elections, and that the state's voter-registration database hadn't been violated. Reagan took prompt action in June upon hearing from the FBI, he says.
"When Secretary Reagan hears the words 'Russian hacker,' and 'credible Russian hacker' from the FBI, she's going to pay attention to that," he said.
Isikoff's story says federal officials aren't sure if the attacks came from foreign agents bent on changing U.S. elections or from criminals who want to sell voter information for a quick buck. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/fbi-links-cyberattacks-on-arizona-and-illinois-voter-registration-data-to-foreign-hackers-8598395 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/eb8b9942ba21de7e7ee22210363137e340e98fe1d8b5f372a26c21485f9d867b.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:00 | null | 2016-08-25T11:26:00 | No pretension, no politics except "legalize it." | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fsnoop-dogg-and-wiz-khalifa-concert-celebrated-weed-in-every-way-possible-8586214.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8586266/phx-mus-20160824-wizkahlifa-jimlouvau-21.jpg | en | null | Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa's Weed Spectacular at Ak-Chin Pavilion | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Wiz Khalifa in his natural element. Jim Louvau
Go to enough pop concerts and certain parts of the show will start to annoy you.
For instance, pretty much every pop star incorporates the state flag of whatever city they're in into the set, usually to resounding, pandering applause. They throw unrealistic superlatives to the audience, saying they're the "best-looking" or simply the "best" audience they've ever seen.
There was no pretense, no politics except "legalize it."
Finally, there's the motivational speech. These tend to go one of two ways. It's usually affirming ("You're not damaged goods!") or inspiring ("Never give up on your dreams!").
Hip-hop stars don't usually go into these sorts of speeches, but one of the performers at Ak-Chin Pavilion last night did. Out of Jhene Aiko, Kevin Gates, Wiz Khalifa, and Snoop Dogg, only one of them told the audience members they should follow their dreams.
Yup, it was Kevin "I Don't Get Tired" Gates, he of the cousin-boning, dog-fellatio-encouraging antics. After performing his hit "2 Phones," Gates paused as his set was about to close and gazed out upon the audience and proffered these words of wisdom:
"No one will ever believe in your plan until your plan becomes successful," the aspiring motivational speaker told the crowd. "You might be doing something in life that makes you unhappy because your heart says you should be doing something else."
Truly inspiring, T-Swift-worthy words. Gates left the stage, setting the stage for the two co-headliners, Snoop and Wiz. Called the High Road Tour, there's one plant, one drug on these rappers' minds, and it was everywhere last night. From the skunky clouds drifting above the crowd to the near-pornographic close-ups of plants shown on the screens behind the stage, marijuana was everywhere. The night was a celebration of weed, anthem after anthem encouraging the joyous partaking of the devil's herb.
EXPAND Jim Louvau
The two rappers performed songs individually for two or three songs at once before performing the last few songs of the set together. Snoop came out and performed part of the timeless Dr. Dre classic, "The Next Episode," (which fittingly ends with the exhortation to "smoke weed every day"), leading into Wiz Khalifa's first song of the night, "Bake Sale." The bro-anthem "We Dem Boyz" followed.
The rappers swapped leads throughout the night. Snoop came out and did a "when I say 'sticky,' you say 'icky'" call-and-response. Both men inhaled joints lazily throughout the night, even sharing the joint with a female audience member at one point. The crowd went as wild for Snoop's classic tracks like "Gin & Juice" as they did for Wiz Khalifa's recent mega-hits. Joints were smoked in honor of Eazy-E and Tupac. At one point, a giant prop bong that must have been at least 20 feet tall appeared on stage, and moments later was smoking like a chimney. Canoe-sized inflatable joints floated through the crowd like beach balls as the two stars on stage rapped verses one after the other. Songs like "This Weed Iz Mine" and "French Inhale," which feature both rappers, fit into the set like a slide into a bong.
There was no pretense, no politics except "legalize it." It was a refreshing, stupid-fun celebration of friendship, drugs, and partying.
EXPAND Jim Louvau
Critic's Notebook
Last Night: Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa at Ak-Chin Pavilion
Personal Bias: I wasn't even supposed to be there last night.
Hat's off: Snoop Dogg is a goddamn legend. Where all his peers are lounging comfortably in their mansions, Snoop is everywhere — selling tens of thousands of tickets headlining concerts with stars half his age, somehow finding pathways into the cultural conversation.
Random Notebook Dump: "How can they just get away with smoking that much weed on stage? Is that legal? Is the weed fake? Good lord, am I a Snoop Dogg weed truther?" | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/snoop-dogg-and-wiz-khalifa-concert-celebrated-weed-in-every-way-possible-8586214 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/b0a2d5be370b5ed94101c6ff1b9d95a5373af5a606e4eace931664bf0be4c117.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-30T12:49:49 | null | 2016-08-30T04:00:00 | Lantana is the host of KJZZ's weekday music program, Classic Jazz. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fblaise-lantana-of-kjzz-explains-why-jazz-will-ruin-all-other-music-for-you-if-you-let-it-8575595.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8598348/blaisemic.jpg | en | null | Blaise Lantana of KJZZ Explains Why Jazz Will Ruin All Other Music For You | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND KJZZ Music Director Blaise Lantana Courtesy of Blaise Lantana
The music scene doesn't happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar, some new . Be sure to check out our 100 Tastemakers and 100 Creatives as well.
Jazz isn't easy.
Whether you're learning it, performing it, writing about it, or promoting it, the quintessential American art presents myriad challenges. But one person in Phoenix is up for that effort and has given jazz a prime time slot in the Phoenix music scene, and that person is KJZZ's music director and Blaise Lantana.
Lantana hosts Classic Jazz on the city's local NPR member station on weekdays from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. That's three straight hours of Lantana's hand-selected blend of legends and contemporary artists, with the occasional representative of the local scene thrown in for good measure. As such, she is a tireless advocate for a musical genre that is as demanding of listeners as it is rewarding.
"Fall in love with jazz and it will ruin you for everything else," she says.
Related Stories Matty Steinkamp of Sundawg Media Shares What Makes a Great Music Video
Lantana is also a performer herself. She learned piano at a young age, and she showed a knack for improvisation at an early age that would soon guide her to jazz, even as her piano teachers were perplexed by the way she rewrote Mozart on the fly. It was Louis Armstrong, then finally Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, that would enchant and lure him into the jazz world. She soon became a performing singer in Texas, but when the oil market crashed in the '80s she found the well of paying gigs running dry. She found work at a Corpus Christi radio station and soon had hosted everything from a Latin music radio show to Morning Edition. She moved to the Valley in 1994 and became KJZZ's music director, focusing on jazz, the following year.
Having a full-time gig in radio hasn't stopped Lantana from pursuing her own creative endeavors. She still writes music and performs regularly around the Valley. You can catch her at Opa Life Greek Cafe in Tempe on September 9 and with a five-piece band at the Desert Botanical Garden on November 11.
Courtesy of Blaise Lantana
What singers do you admire? You can't beat Ella [Fitzgerald], who could do it all, improvise bebop, swing, beautiful tone, nothing like it. Of course, I love Billie Holiday's haunting sound, and for today's young singers I like the delicate touch of Melody Gardot. I am in awe of the pitch control, power and imagination of Dianne Reeves, and Diana Krall has that low smokey sound that pulls you in.
What type of music are you into that people might find surprising? I am a songwriter and a poet, so I love Jackson Browne, Steve Earl, Lyle Lovett. And I love the emotion of opera, but I say opera is like baseball and sex, it's better in person.
What makes a good song? Funny, if I knew that I'd be a famous songwriter. What I like is a melody that lingers, and some harmonic dimension beyond a simple pop structure. I love jazz because the band is so integrated. In a good jazz band everyone is listening to one another, it is never stagnant, the rhythm is changing subtly through the song, unlike rock which lives on that steady beat. Fall in love with jazz and it will ruin you for everything else.
What do you think the music scene needs most? The same as always. More venues, better pay for the musicians. It would be nice to have a jazz festival in Phoenix that actually plays jazz.
Who do you admire most in the music scene? I love the people who make it happen, what Joel Robin and Herb Eli at the Nash are doing to keep jazz in the forefront is a treat for us and a lot of work for them. ... Woody Wilson at [Tempe Center for the Arts] has a great jazz series he puts together. ... Doc Ox is keeping local jazz and blues musicians working at Opa. ... Pete Gitlin, a local guitarist has been hosting a jazz jam every Thursday night at the Pita Jungle in Chandler for years. ... These people make it possible for all of us to play, and to play together and learn from one another.
What's the best concert you've ever seen in Phoenix? Singer Kurt Elling at the [Musical Instrument Museum]. I couldn't even talk after I heard him. He is a jazz monster, and his presence live is riveting.
The 2016 Noisemakers so far:
25. Matty Steinkamp
24. Blaise Lantana | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/blaise-lantana-of-kjzz-explains-why-jazz-will-ruin-all-other-music-for-you-if-you-let-it-8575595 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/7ed9b91a9abc69d91aa82da724a996be0bef203b3a0212c124b495ec0afb10d7.json |
[
"Phoenix New Times"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:11 | null | 2016-08-26T04:00:00 | Your best bets for live music this weekend in the Valley. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fthe-nine-best-concerts-in-phoenix-this-weekend-8571576.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8589139/goth-brooks-credit-sung-moon.jpg | en | null | 9 Best Concerts in Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Goth Brooks is scheduled to perform on Saturday, August 27, at Pub Rock in Scottsdale. Sung Moon
This weekend’s slate of big concerts happening around the Valley is downright eclectic, to say the least. It seems an apt description, considering it includes a lingerie rave, a visit from punk icons Face to Face, and a performance by instrumental post-rock act Explosions. And that’s just on Friday.
The rest of the weekend is just as diverse with gigs by Arizona legend Al Foul, art-metal heavyweights Baroness, Latin jazz kind Poncho Sanchez, and even a showcase featuring some of the freakiest and funniest bands in the Valley – including Goth Brooks and the Ned Flanders death metal tribute Okilly Dokilly.
If none of this happens to be in your particular wheelhouse, however, our extensively updated online concert calendar and its bevy of other live music possibilities for the weekend. In the meantime, here are our picks for what’s on tap over the next three nights.
EXPAND The punks of Face to Face. Kevin Baldes
Face to Face – Friday, August 26 – Livewire
Though they never achieved the notoriety enjoyed by some '90s Cali punk peers, Face to Face's fans are legion among the punk faithful, particularly skaters. Led by frontman Trever Keith (the quartet's sole remaining original member), Face to Face's songs race like nitrous funny cars fueled on slashing guitar hooks and anthemic sentiments. They formed in '91 and released six studio albums in their first 12 years of existence, as well as a live album and a cool covers album, 2001's Standards & Practices, before splitting up in 2004. Thankfully, Face to Face returned after a four-year hiatus and went on to release a trio of solid albums – 2011’s Laugh Now, Laugh Later (a record rife with catchy guitar crunch and brash attitude, highlighted by the blistering "It's Not All About You”), 2013’s Three Chords and a Half Truth, and this year’s outstanding 11-song LP, Protection. CHRIS PARKER
EXPAND Explosions in the Sky, in blurry form. Nick Simonite
Explosions in the Sky – Friday, August 26 – Marquee Theatre
Still touring strong behind last spring's Wilderness, this four-piece has earned its reputation as a must-see live act. Built on a template of turning soft and sinewy into something cathartic and cacophonous, Explosions in the Sky's instrumental numbers draw the listener in with creeping anxiety before pummeling them back into a celebratory realty. It's a soundtrack that works equally well for attacking the dreaded workout, ferrying one's way through traffic gridlock, or lazily letting the mind wander while perched back at the lake. The tunes' cinematic qualities have made them obvious selections for various films, commercials and television shows, the most well-known example being the theme music for Friday Night Lights. As the new material skews a bit more on the concise and lean side, the band's show at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe will likely feature some new wrinkles for long-time fanatics. However, there are still sure to be plenty of epic crescendos and more than enough fists in the air to make it well worth attending. JEFF STROWE
DJ Mighty Mike Saga Dale May
Lingerieve 10 – Friday, August 26 – Club Red
When it comes to rave scene fashion, the name of the game has always been about being as colorful and over-the-top as possible. Hence the reason why you’ll typically witness ravers and kandi kids dressed in day-glo everything or sporting kooky costumes, furry accessories, and other colorfully eye-catching gear at pretty much every underground dance party. They also occasionally wear as little clothing as possible – and we’re talking about both men and women alike – partially due to the fact that one gets a bit overheated while thrashing about on the dance floor. And that sometimes involve wearing actual lingerie, albeit of a more modest variety. Needless to say, the idea of a lingerie-themed rave doesn’t seem that strange a concept. As a matter of fact, local EDM promoter 1 Vibe Events has been putting on its annual Lingerieve almost every single year since 2006 and will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the party this weekend at Club Red in Mesa. Appropriately dubbed the “Birthday Cake Edition,” this year’s version, which is open to the 18-and-over crowd, will feature male and female patrons in lingerie (yes, you read that right) as well as such headlining DJs as Evol Intent, Mighty Mike Saga, Rob Gee and Str8house. The local lineup includes Dark Mark, Sparrow, Displacement, Pneumatic Fist, and Richi Savage. BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN
EXPAND The members of Baroness Jimmy Hubbard
Baroness – Saturday, August 27 – Crescent Ballroom
In August 2012, art-metal heavyweights Baroness were touring for their critically acclaimed third album, Yellow & Green, when the brakes failed on their tour bus, launching the vehicle into the air and hurling singer John Baizley into the windshield. He captured the experience in an open letter to fans he shared several months after the accident. “I remember the sound of the air-brakes failing, and the panicked cursing of our driver as we slowly realized how desperate the situation was,” he wrote. Baizley broke his arm and leg in the crash, and other members suffered similarly awful injuries. Bassist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen Blickle (a founding member) left the group shortly after. However, the accident did not stop the band; rather, it imposed a period of self-reflection. Baizley doubled down on the band and making art. “I can say, after nearly six weeks of reflection, that I feel more resolute and passionate about our music than ever. I have come to realize the importance of time in this particular equation; that is, I have none to waste and none to spare. There is no better moment than now, broken and in physical stasis, to devote ourselves more fully toward our art than ever,” Baizley wrote. The band is coming to Phoenix on the heels of its fantastic 2015 release, Purple. The album is a maturation from the band’s previous efforts, with powerful songs, rife with melody and riffs that have made the group one of the most respected in metal. DAVID ACCOMAZZO
Hi-dilly-ho, neighborinos! It's Okilly Dokilly. Frank Cordova
Freaks – Saturday, August 27 – Pub Rock
Gimmick bands can oftentimes be a hit or miss proposition. For every Mac Sabbath or Black Fag there's an equal number of duds out there that are more about costuming and concept versus actual talent and musicianship. Thankfully, that certainly isn't the case with any of the out-there acts that will participate in this weekend's "Freaks" showcase at Pub Rock in Scottsdale, as each are a perfect blend of musical skill and madcap shtick. The lineup features Goth Brooks, the three-person country/industrial mashup band that boasts the most clever name for a band since the Brian Jonestown Massacre, as well as weed-obsessed comedy rap king Supajoint and Ned Flanders-obsessed death metal group Okilly Dokilly. BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN
EXPAND According to her official bio, Louisahh is "“thrilled to be alive and loves you so much." Eric Traoré
Louisahhh – Saturday, August 27 – Monarch Theatre
Call her the house revival's princess of darkness. Louisahhh released her freshman solo EP through Bromance records in 2013. Of course, she's been a fixture in NYC nightlife for much longer, having started her career as a member of production duo NYCPARTYINFO. Ironically, it's her voice that cut through the noise. A vocal track provided for Miami producer Danny Daze brought her notoriety. You may recognize that voice from Brodinski's smash "Control Movement." Now, she sings on her own tracks and puts those pieces together on the deck like a puzzle of tainted sensuality. A musical journey with Louisahhh takes you to shadowy places. Her edge creeps up until it bites you in the face. And because of this, not to mention her stylish composition and unique depth, we applaud her. KAT BEIN
Al Foul – Saturday, August 27 – ThirdSpace
Mammoth, Arizona-based Al Foul performs solo, snarling over a fat Gretsch guitar and stomping on a bass drum. But his songs aren't rowdy BBQ Show/Bob Log-style tirades. No, there's a lowdown elegance to songs like "Sugar Me and the Boy" and "Maybe Tonight," a restrained noir element that's as in keeping with Jarmusch's black-and-white films as it is with Sun Records' heyday. "Maybe tonight I'll freeze to death," he belts over a "Tequila"-style strum, a sturdy hiccup in his voice and a steady beat pounded out by his foot. If the one-man-band routine is the standup comedy of musical idioms, call him a Louie C.K. — the kind of guy willing to bare his heart in order to make you laugh or break your heart. JASON P. WOODBURY
EXPAND Poncho Sanchez visits the MIM this weekend. Devin DeHaven
Poncho Sanchez – Sunday, August 28 – Musical Instrument Museum
What’s a kid to do when caught between the worlds of psychedelic rock, surf music, bebop, rhythm and blues, and cha cha? If you’re Poncho Sanchez, you combine them in giant soul stew on the way to becoming the leading purveyor of funky, grooving music with a deeply soulful edge. Many call it Latin jazz or Cubano bebop; Sanchez doesn’t think it really needs a name (beyond having a place to shelve it in stores). “It’s a twist on soul music with a Latin groove,” he told New Times in 2014. “We take a funk-and-soul groove, and give it a Latin tinge.” Sanchez forged a lengthy career; all told, he’s released 27 albums. (A 28th is in the works: a Latin tribute to John Coltrane.) The secret, he explains, besides the high energy found on each album, is mixing up the styles. His music typically starts a with Latin groove, but albums have explored various jazz avenues, blues idioms, Cuban rhythms, funk, soul, and even some of that psychedelic rock. GLENN BURNSILVER
The Stakes – Sunday, August 28 – Valley Bar
The Stakes take a refreshingly old-school approach to hip-hop. The group performs with a live band that plays beats that recall hip-hop’s jazz roots, much like old-school De La Soul. It’s not a coicidence that the band is named after De La’s seminal album, The Stakes Is High. Emcees ZeeDubb and Lord Kash deliver conscious rhymes laden with wordplay, while singer Marah Armenta croons the choruses. This show at Valley Bar will offer not just the Stakes but fellow Phoenix jazz-fusion group House of Stairs (which features former Stakes vocalist Holly Pyle) and Abstrakt, a similarly jazzy group from San Diego. DAVID ACCOMAZZO | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/the-nine-best-concerts-in-phoenix-this-weekend-8571576 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ec02d4e5cc42168a073c1a0c6a2a70ff31461466fdf706d74f9eb52c356c9526.json |
[
"Abbey Bender"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:38 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | White Girl's heroine is a bad seed, and writer/director Elizabeth Wood won't ever let us forget it. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Fblame-fatale-white-girl-suggests-its-heroines-suffering-is-all-her-own-fault-8588771.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7306679/white-girl-1-credit-filmrise.jpg | en | null | Blame Fatale: White Girl Suggests Its Heroine's Suffering Is All Her Own Fault | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Courtesy of FilmRise
It’s hard to watch White Girl without experiencing a creeping sense of anxiety. Loosely based on the adolescent life of writer/director Elizabeth Wood, the film follows Leah (Morgan Saylor), a college student who parties all night and snorts prodigious amounts of cocaine. She and her roommate, Katie (India Menuez), live in Ridgewood, Queens, as members of the hipster gentrification class. Early on, Leah meets Blue (Brian Marc), a drug dealer hanging outside her apartment, and the two begin the tumultuous relationship that drives the narrative as they party, fuck, and push the product.
It’s dispiriting that the first nonwhite people Leah encounters are dealers, but a scene in which she and Blue mark up their drug prices while partying with a white crowd winks at this racial divide. Blue doesn’t seem too much like the usual movie cliché of a hustler (though plenty of stereotypes can be found in his orbit) — he has a delicate quality, with long lashes and fine bone structure, and is less wild than his girlfriend. He ends up getting busted by an undercover cop just after promising to take Leah out for a fancy dinner. His moment of earnest sweetness, hoping to impress Leah with a romantic gesture, is shut down by a system that's convinced he's a threat.
Film Details White Girl Rating: NR Genre: Drama Running Time: 88 min. More Info
In order to get Blue out of jail, Leah enlists a lawyer, George Fratelli (Chris Noth), who is too expensive but plies her with his understanding of discrimination in a world of police who inordinately punish nonwhite men for drug possession. The relationship between Leah and the older, slightly sleazy Fratelli ultimately moves in a disturbing sexual direction that viewers with an inherent distrust of powerful men might not find surprising. The frustration of White Girl lies in this predictable bleakness. Wood is attuned to the ways America's power dynamics of power work against young women, yet scenes in which Leah gets money stolen and faces sexual violence feel strangely like some kind of punishment.
You might hope that a film directed by a woman in which an attractive college student constantly uses drugs would identify more with the protagonist than the leering men around her. But Leah is a bad seed, and White Girl won’t ever let us forget it. Wood makes us feel the crowded, pulsing haze of the nightclub, the claustrophobia and the adrenaline, but then Leah takes off her shirt and snorts coke off her internship boss’ dick. This is one of those films that merits a long cold shower afterwards. That might actually be a compliment — Wood wants to provoke.
The glimpses White Girl offers of the relationship between Leah and Katie suggest that the film could have something more to say about female friendship and intimacy. While Katie partakes in many of the same indulgences as Leah, there are moments when she expresses concern for her roommate, and in one of the more affecting scenes, they huddle close in the shower after Leah has a particularly traumatic experience. Saylor and Menuez both have the perfect looks for their roles: Saylor’s baby face and fluffy blonde curls impart an angelic quality at obvious odds with her actions, while Menuez has the calm countenance and long red hair of a Pre-Raphaelite maiden. There’s an unspoken bond between these girls. It’s a shame Wood’s film spends so much time on the sleazy forces that might destroy it. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/blame-fatale-white-girl-suggests-its-heroines-suffering-is-all-her-own-fault-8588771 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/c4f97d861f79ae7a0f3b1226a26d28a1bc84cdb3988cc3256bc0eb87be2401bc.json |
[
"Tina Hassania"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:22 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | How did someone like Spencer Crittenden become such a prominent figure on a television series built around improv? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Fa-star-is-roleplayed-how-dungeon-master-spencer-crittenden-became-the-lord-of-harmonquest-8588769.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7296616/2016-08-22_15_39_38-harmonquest_-_episode_1_-_the_quest_begins.jpg | en | null | A Star Is Roleplayed: How Dungeon Master Spencer Crittenden Became the Lord of Harmonquest | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Courtesy of Seeso
You can be forgiven for thinking that the new show from Dan Harmon, creator of Community and Rick and Morty, might come off as niche. Available on the new comedy streaming service Seeso, Harmonquest features comedians playing Pathfinder — a tabletop role-playing game similar to Dungeons and Dragons — in front of a live audience and behind a table furnished with character sheets, snacks, and myriad colorful dice. The adventures that the team plays through are then animated in post — much like The Ricky Gervais Show — to illustrate the fantastical, quirky brio of the game. In other words, it’s a gathering of nerds transformed into a cartoon.
Chief among those nerds is Spencer Crittenden. He looks too socially awkward to be a comedian, with his big, beautiful, bushy beard and monotone voice. On Harmonquest, Crittenden is producer, writer, and “game master” — he runs the show. So how did someone like him become such a prominent figure on a television series built around a precarious device like improv? To answer this question, we must first examine the intense cult of personality built around Harmon.
Like Joss Whedon, Harmon has an unusually ardent fan base for a TV showrunner, and he’s cultivated the kind of celebrity usually reserved for pop idols or movie stars. At CommuniCon, an event where fans got to meet the stars and crew of Community, Harmon was treated like a king. On Twitter, Community groupies hang on his every word. And then there’s the long-running Harmontown: a live comedy show hosted by Harmon at the NerdMelt Showroom in Hollywood, recorded every week in front of a live audience and made available as a free iTunes podcast and paid-subscription video podcast. It’s more or less a platform for Harmon to say and do as he pleases.
Harmontown's talk ranges from trivial personal complaints to conceptual comedy riffs to political issues — the laid-back, shoot-the-shit atmosphere allows for anything to happen. Harmontown is also like group therapy, for both Harmon and the audience members he invites to the stage to talk about their physical and emotional problems. His tendency to veer into digressions is managed by “comptroller” Jeff Davis, an improv comic perhaps best known for appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway?; the show is at its most entertaining when it features comedian guests. Regulars have included Harmon’s ex-wife Erin McGathy and Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), while the likes of Robin Williams, Laraine Newman, and John Oliver have appeared as well.
Harmon occasionally talked about Dungeons and Dragons on the podcast, then eventually decided, in the middle of a show, to try playing it live. He asked the audience in front of him if anyone was a dungeon master — the organizer of an RPG game responsible for narrating the adventure and administering its details, rules, and challenges. One young man waited to see if anyone else would volunteer before raising his hand: the shy, soft-spoken Crittenden. He’d mostly attended for the chance just to try talking to Harmon about D&D after the show.
“That’s what tipped the scale in me going there,” Crittenden says. “I’m an anxious person — I would never go and do something fun on my own like that.”
The hosts liked Crittenden so much they invited him back, and before long D&D was a regular improvised segment on Harmontown. The chemistry between the three men is evident. Crittenden had no comedy experience. He’s not a trained public speaker. But his laid-back nature and mastery of the game make him an excellent complement to the loquacious Harmon and irreverent Davis.
Harmonquest, then, is essentially a Harmontown spin-off, and its appeal for fans is obvious. But why should anyone else watch? For those who appreciate a good pen-and-paper fantasy game, it’s fascinating to watch comedians improvise their way through a session. They imbue the humorless RPG mechanics with a levity that’s nonetheless respectful. It’s also interesting to see a game that ordinarily takes place entirely in the imagination of its players come to life in animated form.
Courtesy of Seeso
Harmonquest appeals on another level: comedy. The Hollywood Reporter recently described a resurgence in the mainstream appeal of D&D. It listed a host of celebrities who are avid players, including comedian Patton Oswalt and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward. That makes sense: Improv and RPGs share “overlapping skill sets,” says Crittenden. “You’re coming at something from a new perspective, trying to see it in different ways. That’s what comedy is: looking at something from a funny angle. It’s the same mental gymnastics.”
As game master, Crittenden is solely responsible for devising the Harmonquest adventure on which the players riff. “If Dan, as executive producer and cast member, knew the story, that would betray the spirit of what we were trying to do, and so I was basically on my own to write everything,” Crittenden explains.
Harmon created the show and acts as executive producer, but got so busy with other projects early on in its development that he handed the reins to Crittenden, who now more or less runs Harmonquest on his own. When Crittenden found out that he’d be in control, he didn’t take it well. In fact, he started to hyperventilate. “I’m afraid of things changing,” he says, “but the flip side is that when things change for me I have a good time adapting.”
Crittenden believes a “gentle learning curve” made it easier for him to produce the show, thanks to Harmon’s guidance. “By the second episode, I started to get into the swing of things and getting more comfortable giving notes and stuff,” he says.
Attending that serendipitous Harmontown taping has paid off. In the last few years, Crittenden has come out of his shell. A documentary that followed Harmontown’s 2014 tour exemplifies Crittenden’s slow but sure-footed acclimatization in becoming the podcast “treasure,” to borrow one listener’s term. One endearing scene in the film shows a cute girl asking for Crittenden’s autograph, her eyes shining with excitement. After she leaves, he can’t hide his pleasant surprise from the camera. Crittenden has gone from his simple role as game master to unofficial podcast co-host. He’s gone from playing D&D in basements to playing it with professional comedians. He’s gone from zero television experience to guest-starring on Community and writing and producing Harmonquest.
“I was able to grow into that space,” he says, fully acknowledging his blessings. “I don’t think that’s a chance everyone gets.”
Crittenden’s friendship with Harmon has been an essential part of his development. And, he says, he isn’t the only one benefiting from Harmon’s mentorship. “He wants to cultivate relationships with young, talented, creative people and help them succeed.”
In addition to Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, who was virtually unknown before he came onboard that show, Harmon has helped others who are not yet in the public eye. “There’s stuff happening behind the scenes and projects that haven’t come to fruition or they’re in back-development hell,” Crittenden explains. This may come as a surprise given Harmon’s reputation for being irascible on set. But Crittenden insists these collaborations come from Harmon’s genuine desire to help people refine their ideas. “It’s really cool and charitable and kind. It’s fundamentally benevolent.” | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/a-star-is-roleplayed-how-dungeon-master-spencer-crittenden-became-the-lord-of-harmonquest-8588769 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/52cf7a32460b10e9dd700263454417c94fae25f21d28be2c1167f34d613cfdce.json |
[
"Lauren Cusimano"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:53 | null | 2016-08-29T08:00:00 | A new bakery and tea shop opens its doors in Old Town Scottsdale on Tuesday, August 30. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fruze-cake-house-and-teaspressa-open-tomorrow-in-old-town-scottsdale-8590450.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8594995/image1.jpg | en | null | Ruze Cake House & Teaspressa Open Tomorrow in Old Town Scottsdale | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND You'll find the Ruze Latte, iced or hot tea, cupcakes, and macarons at the shared Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa shop in Scottsdale. Lauren Cusimano
Old Town Scottsdale diners will gain a new spot for sweets and tea when Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa, located at 7033 East Main Street, opens to the public tomorrow, Tuesday, August 30. The teahouse, bakery, dessert shop, and breakfast shop all rolled into one comes from owners Jessica Boutwell and Allison DeVane, two entrepreneurs who collaborated to bring the shared space to life.
Boutwell's bakery offers a menu of cupcakes, cookies, macarons, and other desserts, which will be complemented by Devane's Teaspressa drinks.
Cupcake choices include coconut ganache, almond strawberry, lemon raspberry, pink velvet, and carrot topped with old-fashioned cream cheese buttercream. Other Ruze bakery items include cactus cookies, macarons, and other treats, in addition to the iconic cakes that put the bakery on the map.
DeVane’s Teaspressa, which was established in February 2015 and was featured on Shark Tank’s seventh season, makes up the other half of the menu. Drinks are made with concentrated tea, much like an espresso, and offer as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. If you’re having trouble ordering, you may be asked about your usual coffee order, and be suggested a hot or iced beverage with a similar flavor profile.
You'll find the Insta-worthy shop on the south side of Main Street between Goldwater Boulevard and Marshall Way. Visitors are first met with something like Stan Getz playing in the sunlight-filled room and a neon sign reading, “Stop & Taste The Roses.” The white-walled and white-floored space includes wood, copper, and greenery accents – plus handmade hickory tables and a bench seated with 16 copper chairs. Houseplants adorn white shelves offering French presses, pre-packaged cookies, Standard Wax candles, and sugar cubes for sale.
Starting tomorrow, August 30, operating hours will be daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shop will be closed on Mondays.
For more information, visit the Ruze Cake House or Teaspressa website. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/ruze-cake-house-and-teaspressa-open-tomorrow-in-old-town-scottsdale-8590450 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ce3554b4877bc4218419126881db20aa4d2e581cb0c6959553af810692e05a44.json |
[
"April Wolfe"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:54 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | Morgan has something far more important than an airtight story: compelling, well-drawn characters and the talented actors to play them. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Fluke-scott-and-a-killer-ensemble-make-morgan-a-top-tier-sci-fi-thriller-8589967.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7306680/morgan-1-credit-aidan_monaghan.jpg | en | null | Luke Scott - and a Killer Ensemble - Make Morgan a Top-Tier Sci-Fi Thriller | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND 20th Century Fox
Nepotism is occasionally a positive, and not just for the direct beneficiary. Ridley Scott gave us Alien, with heroine Ripley and a memorable cast of ne’er-do-wells and villains with defined personalities. And now Scott’s son, Luke, who’s been shadowing his dad on his last few big-budget films, has delivered unto us a sci-fi thriller that would make any father proud. Morgan isn’t perfect. I called the ending 20 minutes in, but even if his film's plot is predictable, the younger Scott is returning the ensemble thriller to its roots with something far more important than an airtight story: compelling, well-drawn characters and the talented actors to play them.
Looking at this cast list gives me life. Toby Jones, an elastic, perennial entertainer who was a knockout in this year’s indie fantasia masterpiece Tale of Tales, is Dr. Ziegler, the gentle, misguided scientist/father figure to a genetically modified child, Morgan. Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is Dr. Cheng, the cautious and concerned “mother” to said creature. Rose Leslie, who was eerie and terrifying in 2014’s psychologically haunting Honeymoon, is Dr. Amy Menser, a highly emotional behaviorist who' grown far too attached to Morgan. The GMO killer teen is played by Anya Taylor-Joy, the breakout lead in horror hit The Witch. All Morgan wants is to be human and free, but she can’t shake her inclination to maim her scientist friends.
Film Details Morgan Rating: R Genre: Horror Running Time: 92 min. More Info Trailer
Also, Jennifer Jason Fucking Leigh is in this movie as Dr. Kathy Grieff, who loses an eye pretty quickly to Morgan’s stabbing prowess. And then there’s Vinette Robinson (Sherlock) and Chris Sullivan (The Knick) as Drs. Finch, the odd-couple pairing of the straitlaced wife and big-friendly-bear husband. Top this all off with Kate Mara (who’s clearly taken some action-star tips from her sister Rooney’s turn in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) playing Lee Weathers, the corporate “risk-assessment” contractor/assassin, and I doubt any movie this year will even come near the greatness of this ensemble. Thanks should be given to casting director Carmen Cuba, who also graced her people-finding faculties upon Netflix’s nostalgia megahit Stranger Things (plus The Martian and Magic Mike, among others).
This signals a welcome move away, for a studio film, from putting onscreen the simply beautiful. Scott instead showcases those talented actors with interesting faces who can make any flat line ring. (FYI, we’re talking about a lot of women and multiple nonwhite actors here, too.) Leigh’s only got a few spare minutes in the film, but she’s gruff and difficult and takes a punch with charisma. And even though the script doesn’t give him much to work with, Jones reveals the character of his troubled scientist through nervous mannerisms and protective glances at his humanoid creation through the bulletproof glass of her cold, Ikea-like prison. The scientists all needle in their own ways at Lee, stressing that Morgan is “special,” that she’s more human than she’ll ever understand, but they all know the hard truth: Lee’s there to kill her.
EXPAND He's still not drinking any fuckin' merlot. 20th Century Fox
Yes, this is a well-worn premise. Off the top of my head, the Species franchise and Hanna (2011) also feature a GMO girl assassin no one can control. And though somewhat unsung at its release, Hanna probably tackles the thriller elements better than Scott does with Morgan — that film doesn’t bother with relaying backstory by having a character watch home movies that clearly don’t look like home movies. But Scott’s challenge here is to create tension in a single location, a country house in mossy-green remote Northern Ireland. He does so by smartly saving his big set pieces for the last half of the movie.
A comparison could be made to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, whose O.O.C. girl robot spends most of the movie simply threatening menace with an occasional dead-eyed stare into a security camera. Scott makes this film's premise float on its drama (you can do that with good actors), only spicing the narrative with hints of Morgan’s true deadliness. Paul Goddamn Giamatti, as a psychologist who has come to assess her viability as a controlled “product,” gets subjected to a particularly gruesome bout of violence, all as Scott ramps up this tension to its breaking point (with a dash of humor).
Something has to be said for the costume designer of this film, Stefano De Nardis, who dresses each character to a T, pun intended. Lee sports both formal and casual ninja-wear that still looks like something a real-world non-ninja might wear. Placing the murderous teen girl in a baggy, gray-scale sweatsuit is a stroke of genius, especially for close-up shots, where her icy makeup job contrasts with the fuzzy, textured wool of her hoodie.
Morgan, in many ways, is a copy of a copy. But what Scott is copying is his father’s early films, highly worthy originals. Will the film be considered an instant classic, like the elder Scott's? Probably not. But it will be enjoyed, because the biggest lesson Scott seems to have picked up from his dad is the old Hollywood way of doing things, where the team a director assembles is just as important as a director's own individual vision. I, for one, am greatly looking forward to this ambitious young filmmaker’s next sci-fi feature (rumored to be a zombie version of the Donner Party story). | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/luke-scott-and-a-killer-ensemble-make-morgan-a-top-tier-sci-fi-thriller-8589967 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ad0499f6a8254466fefb4eaa7e684f7922afe283a723dd36d939ce3e2504d513.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-30T22:49:58 | null | 2016-08-30T14:45:00 | A few glitches arose early in the morning, but voting ran smoothly for the most part in Maricopa County for the state's primary election on Tuesday.... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fminor-glitches-in-maricopa-county-mar-primary-day-at-the-polls-8595362.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8600005/voting-sign.jpg | en | null | Minor Glitches in Maricopa County Mar Primary Day at the Polls | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Ray Stern
No hackers, no hour-long lines and no real problems — that's the message from the Maricopa County Elections Department so far today as state voters go to the polls for the primary election.
If you haven't voted yet, it should be smooth sailing. Polls close at 7 p.m. Locate your polling place by clicking here.
A few glitches arose this morning, but nothing like the chaos back in March for the county's presidential preference election, in which some voters waited in line for up to five hours. Following that debacle, which resulted from a shortage of polling places, the county added more voting sites for this election, for a total of 645.
The only excitement this morning came when six polling places failed to open at 6 a.m. as scheduled, reports Elizabeth Bartholomew, spokeswoman for the county's election office.
Only one poll worker showed up to the polling center at Glendale High School at 6 a.m., preventing the location from opening.
"We had to rush our own employees from downtown," Bartholomew says. The troubleshooters opened the location by 6:30. That was the latest any Maricopa County polling place opened, she says.
Openings at the other five tardy locations were delayed only for minutes. The Town of Guadalupe's town clerk didn't show up to open a polling place there, resulting in a seven-minute delay, Bartholomew says. Minor delays in opening were reported at Kino Junior High School in Mesa, the American Legion in Tempe, a school in Anthem and the north Phoenix Covenant of Grace Christian Church, according to Bartholomew.
Polls close at 7 p.m.
You won't find Trump, Clinton, or marijuana on the ticket if you vote today — those choices will appear on the general election ballot on Tuesday, November 8. But today's primary includes several interesting races, including:
• U.S. Senate: Three Republican competitors are trying to oust incumbent John McCain from the seat he has held since 1986. Kelli Ward, a doctor and former lawmaker, will likely come the closest, though most observers expect to see McCain face off in a general-election battle with Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick.
• Six-term Sheriff Joe Arpaio squares off against former Mesa cop and longtime Arpaio foe Dan Saban.
• 1st Congressional District: Will Paul Babeu come out on top against a crowded field of GOP competitors that includes Ken Bennett, Gary Kiehn, Wendy Rogers, and Shawn Redd?
• 2nd Congressional District: Which Democrat will win the right to try to knock Martha McSally from her post — TV reporter Victoria Steele or physician Matt Heinz?
• 5th Congressional District: American Family sweepstakes winner and ultraconservative Andy Biggs, Don "Show Me the Money, Taxpayers" Stapley, GoDaddy girl Christine Jones, and some dude named Justin Olson are fighting for a seat in Washington, D.C., that will essentially be decided today.
• Three open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission: This agency makes changes that affect your life and your wallet — namely, it oversees public utilities and what they can charge you. Democrats needn't fret; they only have two choices for the three slots in today's election. Republicans have to choose among five candidates.
• Metro-area state legislature seats: Veteran reporter Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic had a good story earlier this month that details several of the more-watchable races among wanna-be lawmakers.
May your favorite candidates win. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/minor-glitches-in-maricopa-county-mar-primary-day-at-the-polls-8595362 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2ff144a2b74c1ef5e069366ece2356a79763007bac870aed695300e1e0f0246f.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-26T14:49:20 | null | 2016-08-26T06:12:00 | "It's our number-one priority," Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner said at a press conference. "I'm asking our entire community to participate in this... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Farizonas-top-cops-boost-reward-plead-for-help-in-serial-street-shooter-case-8586602.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8588312/chief-yahner-ppd-presser-082616.jpg | en | null | Top Arizona Officials Boost Bounty for Info on Phoenix Serial Street Shooter | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced on Thursday that his office was boosting the bounty on the Phoenix Serial Street Shooter to $75,000. (From left: Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Mayor Greg Stanton, Police Chief Joe Yahner, Brnovich, and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.) Ray Stern
At a press conference on Thursday, Arizona's top law-enforcement officials announced that they have increased the reward for information about the Serial Street Shooter, saying they urgently need the public's help to crack the case.
The news conference at Phoenix police headquarters included Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Arizona U.S. Marshal David Gonzales, Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner, FBI assistant special-agent-in-charge Michael Caputo, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assistant special-agent-in-charge Mark Murray, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, and Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski. Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead wasn't there, but DPS is participating in the combined effort.
Brnovich said his office donated another $25,000 to the reward, raising it to $75,000.
"We know that someone out there has some information," he said. "We want to remind folks: The life you save may be your own or maybe one of your loved ones."
Police believe the suspect is capable of committing violence against anyone, including people he knows.
The unknown killer, whom witnesses have described as a slender Hispanic man in his 20s, has murdered seven people in nine separate shooting incidents since March. Most of the victims were killed in the west-side Phoenix community of Maryvale. But police have emphasized that not all of the slayings have been in Maryvale and warn that the killer is highly mobile. He has been spotted in at least two different vehicles — a black, boxy, four-door BMW (possibly late 1990s or early 2000s 5 series) — and a white Cadillac or Lincoln sedan.
Two people were shot and wounded in March, two were killed in April, and five in June. The shooting on June 12 clinched it for police. That night, Stefanie Ellis, 33, her daughter, Maleah, 12, and Angela Linner, 31, were shot and killed as they were listening to music in a car parked in a driveway. Howard said that's when police knew for certain they were dealing with a serial killer. Police released the news to the public about a week later. Some physical evidence has been recovered, including shell casings. For now, police are keeping most details under wraps.
On July 11, a man driving a black BMW who fit the suspect's description shot at a man and his 4-year-old nephew in broad daylight as they drove through a neighborhood near 30th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. Five shell casings were recovered and the man's car was left riddled with bullets, but the occupants weren't hit. That was the last crime known to be linked to the serial killer. Other shootings have been investigated since then, but none appear to be his work.
"We want to remind folks: The life you save may be your own or maybe one of your loved ones." — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich
Phoenix police have received about 1,500 tips from the community but they need more, Chief Yahner said. The high-profile news conference — the first of its kind since the serial-shooter case first made news in June — was intended to let the community know the authorities are working around the clock to catch the suspect before he strikes again, and to keep the issue fresh before the media and public.
"It's our number-one priority," Yahner said. "I'm asking our entire community to participate in this investigation."
"This ongoing serial-shooter case has created a tremendous amount of fear among residents throughout our entire city, and created a tremendous resolve to bring this killer to justice," Mayor Stanton said, emphasizing that "this evil person" wasn't just operating in Maryvale. "I want you to know that if you make that call to [the Silent Witness anonymous hotline], if you make that call to the Phoenix Police Department, you are doing the right thing."
Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner Ray Stern
Caputo said the FBI is "currently leveraging all of our resources ... to try to solve this case."
The FBI has brought in two specialists with its Behavioral Analysis Unit to provide "insight and assistance," Caputo said. "We'll continue to work tirelessly."
Montgomery promised that tipsters won't be turned over to immigration officials or charged with a crime if they come forward with information about the killing spree.
Serial killers like to brag about their acts, so someone probably knows who the killer is, Marshal Gonzales said.
It's impossible to tell at this stage whether the authorities are as desperate as they sound, or if they're attempting to goad the suspect into making a mistake.
Witnesses in at least one incident told police the suspect had other people in his car.
If that's true, said Sergeant Jonathan Howard, a Phoenix police spokesman, "They are equally in as much danger as any other citizen. We firmly believe this man is clearly unstable. He may even target them as potential witnesses."
The admonition to leave a tip applies just as well to the people the killer knows, Howard said.
The public is asked to call the Arizona nonprofit Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 800-343-TIPS. Tipsters can also leave an anonymous message via the nonprofit's website, silentwitness.org.
Here are the incidents police have linked to the serial killer so far:
March 17, 11:30 p.m.: A 16-year-old boy was shot in the street near 1100 East Moreland Street. His injuries were not life-threatening. March 18, 11:30 p.m.: A 21-year-old man was shot while standing in the street outside of his vehicle in the area of 4300 North 73rd Avenue. His injuries were not life-threatening. April 1, 9 p.m.: Diego Verdugo-Sanchez was shot and killed in front of a home in the area of 5500 West Turney Avenue. April 19, 4:30 a.m.: Krystal Annette White, 55, was found deceased in the area of 500 North 32nd Street. June 3, 9:50 p.m.: Horacio De Jesus Pena was shot and killed in front of a home in the area of 6700 West Flower Street. June 10, 9:30 p.m.: Manuel Castro Garcia killed in the area of 6500 West Coronado Road. June 12, 2:35 a.m.: An unoccupied vehicle was shot and damaged in the area of 6200 West Mariposa Drive. June 12, 3:00 a.m.: Angela Linner, Maleah Ellis, and Stefanie Ellis were shot and killed in front of a home in the area of 6300 West Berkeley Road. July 11, 5:30 p.m.: A man and his nephew were shot at five times or more near Thomas Road and 30th Street while driving home from a coin laundry. They were unhurt. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizonas-top-cops-boost-reward-plead-for-help-in-serial-street-shooter-case-8586602 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/eabd79dd0b334f1c7871caa6964da648670b71bd997ae561a143323559d0a185.json |
[
"Miriam Wasser"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:24 | null | 2016-08-24T10:11:00 | Earlier this week, in what is being hailed as a victory for women's health, the Arizona Attorney General's Office backed out of a lawsuit that had... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Faz-doctors-officially-liberated-from-junk-science-law-as-attorney-general-concedes-medication-abortion-fight-8582253.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8582281/abortionpill1.jpg | en | null | Arizona Doctors Won't Have to Promote "Junk Science" as State Backs Out of Medication Abortion Fight | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Most members of the medical community called Arizona's abortion-reversal law "junk science." Ivanko80 via Shutterstock
Talk about a win for science! The state of Arizona is finally backing out of its fight to require that doctors tell their patients that it's possible to "reverse" a medication abortion.
Also known as the "abortion pill," a medication abortion terminates a pregnancy through the use of two drugs, administered 24 to 48 hours apart. The first drug, mifepristone, causes the lining of the uterus to break down, and the second, misoprostol, causes the uterus to empty. The method is widely considered to be a safe and effective way to terminate a pregnancy; Planned Parenthood of Arizona reports that nearly half of all abortions performed in the state are medication abortions.
In 2015, the Arizona legislature passed Senate Bill 1318, which mandated that doctors administering medication abortions inform patients that if they take high doses of the hormone progesterone after taking mifepristone, but before taking misoprostol, they can safely remain pregnant.
Lawmakers relied on the research of Dr. George Delgado, a physician in Southern California who claimed that 60 percent of women who took the progesterone remained pregnant. Critics, including the American Medical Association and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, call Delgado's research "junk science." His so-called clinical trial involved just six women.
Over the medical community's protestations, Governor Doug Ducey signed the law, the first of its kind in the nation.
While the pro-life Center for Arizona policy celebrated the decision, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America promptly sued the state.
"This junk-science law would force doctors to lie to their patients and put women's health at risk. In no other area of medicine would this stand — which is why we're fighting in Arizona and across the country for women's access to accurate information and safe, quality care," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, stated in a press release at the time.
In October of last year, months before the law would have gone into effect, U.S. District Judge Steven Logan granted the plaintiffs' request for an injunction, which put the law on hold until the case was decided.
"Women should never be force-fed lies and misinformation about their health in order to advance a political agenda." — Nancy Northup, Center for Reproductive Rights
Supporters of the SB 1318 in the legislature apparently saw the writing on the wall and passed new legislation, SB 1112, that rescinded the mandate. Ducey signed that law as well.
Earlier this week, in what is being hailed as a victory for women's health, the Arizona Attorney General's Office backed out of the lawsuit, agreeing to "conclude" the case and put the matter to rest.
"If it had gone into effect, this law would have forced doctors to provide all patients seeking a safe, legal abortion — even patients who cannot have a medication abortion or who have chosen a surgical procedure — with medically inaccurate and misleading information that could be harmful to their health," Planned Parenthood of Arizona asserted in a statement on Tuesday.
"Women should never be force-fed lies and misinformation about their health in order to advance a political agenda," Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a press release. "Junk science has no place in medicine." | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/az-doctors-officially-liberated-from-junk-science-law-as-attorney-general-concedes-medication-abortion-fight-8582253 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/70c767fa4691aad581d02b8b132dcd27a96ebe4f4dc04b822db1d8dbf9b4c7ad.json |
[
"Lynn Trimble"
] | 2016-08-26T14:49:40 | null | 2016-08-26T07:00:00 | The studio space of Phoenix artists Ashley Macias and Yai Cecream caught fire, destroying much of their work. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Ffire-guts-ashley-macias-and-yai-cecreams-art-studio-in-phoenix-8587213.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8588719/image1.jpg | en | null | Fire Guts Ashley Macias and Yai Cecream's Art Studio in Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Fire damage at studio used by Ashley Macias and Yai Cecream. Ashley Macias
Phoenix artists Ashley Macias and Yai Cecream suffered a significant loss of artwork in a fire that happened at their shared studio space, located behind the home of Michael Davin at 914 West Willetta Street, earlier this week.
The artists are staples of the local arts scene. They’ve shown work at numerous Phoenix art venues, including The Hive gallery and Palabra, and painted several murals in downtown Phoenix.
“It was a pretty bad fire,” Macias says. “It’s just wet and toasted and black.”
EXPAND Fire damage at the studio shared by Ashley Macias and Yai Cecream. Ashley Macias
The fire broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, August 22, Davin says. His girlfriend, Samantha Cheatham, awoke to the sound of the fire crackling, he says, and they immediately called 911.
It's one of two fires that have affected Phoenix's arts community this week. Two days later, a fire happened shortly after 5 a.m. on Wednesday, August 24, at Think! Graphic and Printing Solutions. It's located near Roosevelt Row, just a few miles east of Cecream and Macias' studio.
The Phoenix Fire Department hasn't publicly released any details about a likely cause for either fire.
Macias and Cecream live near the studio, but they weren’t working there at the time it caught fire. They learned of the fire when Davin, who has lived in the main house for several years, called and left a voicemail with the news.
The artists returned earlier this summer from visiting Cecream’s family in Spain, and had just moved artwork and supplies back into the space a few weeks ago. For a time, artist Tyson Krank had his studio at the same property. Macias estimates that at least 90 percent of what they had there was lost to the flames.
Artwork (detail) by Ashley Macias. Ashley Macias
For Macias, that included years of sketchbooks. For Cecream, it included about a dozen new works. “It’s all of our history,” Macias says of the loss. “It’s everything we ever painted, which sucks.”
“We cried it out,” Macias says of getting the news. “We’re sad and heartbroken."
There’s not much they can do at this point, Macias says. And it’s too soon to know where they’ll find a new studio space. Right now, they’re focused on helping Davin, who says he can't go in to clean the space until he's dealt with details like doing an inventory of objects that were damaged or destroyed, which also included some of his own tools and other items. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/fire-guts-ashley-macias-and-yai-cecreams-art-studio-in-phoenix-8587213 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/20af4436174f9783ca7bdbf7061eb8039faf15bcaabb53ed6a1681571fc1deb0.json |
[
"Benjamin Leatherman"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:50 | null | 2016-08-26T05:05:00 | Where to while away the waning days and nights of summer during Labor Day Weekend | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2F16-best-labor-day-weekend-parties-in-phoenix-8589159.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8589168/best-labor-day-weekend-2016-parties-phoenix-tempe-scottsdale.jpg | en | null | 16 Best Labor Day Weekend Parties in Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Celebrating Labor Day weekend at the W Scottsdale in 2015. Benjamin Leatherman
So, how was your summer? Hope you got in tons of carefree fun at festivals, pool parties, and elsewhere over last couple of months because the summertime season is winding down and wrapping up.
If it wasn’t as memorable as you’d hoper, however, don’t fret. You’ve got a few opportunities left to live it up, get down, and party hard before summer’s officially done. And all of ‘em will happen during Labor Day weekend.
As is the norm for the holiday, three days and three nights of DJs, dancing, drinks and decadence await at all the usual hotspots around Metro Phoenix – and especially in Scottsdale. Some heavy hitters from the dance music world will be here to join in the fun (including such artists and acts as Hardwell, Odesza and Erick Morillo) and everyone’s going to send the summer out in style.
Here's a look at the best places to celebrate during LDW 2016.
Maya Day & Nightclub
A special DJ set by indietronica/chillwave duo Odesza will cap off an afternoon of EDM at Maya’s Labor Day weekend pool party on Saturday, September 3. Fellow dance music artist Sweater Beats, Photay, and Dactly will also perform. Gates open at noon. General admission is $70 and VIP access, which includes express entry and exclusive viewing areas, is $125.
The Saguaro Hotel
The Distrito bar inside the Saguaro will host an All White Affair on Friday, September 4, with three DJs spinning R&B, hip-hop, dancehall, Top 40, classics, and other high-energy dance music all night long. Drink and bottle specials include $100 Ciroc and Hennesy, $150 Moet Rose, and reverse happy hour prices, until 11 p.m. Naturally, stylish and chic attire of an all-white nature is required. Good thing the event is before Labor Day. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is free for ladies and $5 for guys before 11 p.m. for those who sign up for the online guest list.
Bad Water Brewing
An indoor and outdoor celebration of barbecue and beer will take place on Saturday, September 5, during a streetside festival in honor of Labor Day at this Scottsdale brewery. Kicking off in the afternoon, the 21-and-over event (sorry parents) will run until the evening and also promise live music, games, giveaways, and other distractions. Hours are from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Hotel Palomar
The upscale hotel's “100 Days of Summer” will wrap up its run during Labor Day weekend with back-to-back parties at the Lustre Rooftop Garden on Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6. Both events will include specialty cocktails from the bar, live music, local DJs, giveaways, and the chance to either take a dip in the adjacent pool or simply lounge around and soak up some rays. The events start at 11 a.m. each day and admission is free for hotel guests and tickets are $10 for the general public.
W Scottsdale
There will be excess opportunities to people-watch over Labor Day at the W, as it holiday weekend pool parties on the WET Deck will definitely be a place to see and be seen. Not only will it boast a variety of eye-candy in the form of its model-quality staff and clientele, the talents behind the mixers will be pretty pulchritudinous themselves. Australian-born model/DJ/actress Brooke Evers is scheduled to perform at the hotel, followed by a gig by Kim Lee and Katrina Nov (a.k.a. KimKat) on Sunday, September 6. High-end libations and specialty cocktails will be available at both events, which start at noon. Tickets are $20 each for either party.
Talking Stick Resort
While most cats are likely to be spending the actual Labor Day holiday itself recovering from the prior two days of partying, those with enough excess energy and disposable income leftover will probably be going strong up at Talking Stick in Scottsdale on Monday, September 7, along with Miami's DJ Tony G. during the last of three Release Pool Parties being staged over the holiday weekend. There are also two off-the-chain poolside affairs happening during the preceding days at the resort, which will include performances by Zeds Dead on Saturday, September 5, and Laidback Luke on Sunday, September 6. All three parties will include VIP and cabana rentals, drinks available at two different bars, giveaways, and copious amounts of dancing. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day. Admission prices vary.
Club Red
Debauchery and decadence will reign supreme in both rooms of the venue during Festishball 2016, a lusty and libertine affair on Saturday, September 3, which will bring together members from the Valley’s disparate kink communities and its various dance music scenes. In addition of a bevy of live fetish performances taking place throughout Club Red, the inaugural event of the Arizona Festish Society will feature industrial and EDM-oriented artists providing the soundtrack to the bacchanal. The lineup includes L.A.-based industrial band 3Teeth, dubstep fiends Sluggo and Nerd Rage (also known as Bass Cadets), darkwave disco duo The Audio Virus, HÄXAN resident Tristan/Iseult, and local selector DJ Sharktopus. The ball begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
El Hefe Scottsdale
The Labor Day Weekend version of El Hefe's insanely lively 4-2-10 Sundays is likely to be even livelier than usual, owing to the fact that most of those in attendance have neither work nor school the next day. And the staff at the Scottsdale spot plan to step things up when the party monster masses visit the event on Sunday, September 6, in the form of a slew of special guest DJs, loads of confetti blasters, free swag, and booze aplenty. Doors open at 11 a.m. and there's no cover.
Valley Bar
Hi-Dreams DJ Collective will transform the underground bar and music venue into the infamous Studio 54 on Sunday, September 4, for an evening of disco thrills. Lighting the match on this disco inferno will be DJ Melo, Kim E. Fresh and DJ Stoneypie, all of whom will help wind the clock back to the ‘70s for the groovy affair. Period specific clothing and costumes are encouraged. Turn the beat around starting at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Linger Longer Lounge
There's tends to be a bit of both wish fulfillment and colorful escapism taking place at almost every one of the monthly Tongue Tied theme parties put on by Michele “Roya” Chinichian and Jay “Funkfinger” Wiggins. To wit: even since the event launched last year, it's allowed attendees to become Olympic athletes, superheroes, Jedi Knights, video game characters, heavy metal rockers, and even magical unicorns. This month's edition, which takes place on Saturday, September 6, will offer the opportunity to relive your teenage years as it features a “High School Homecoming” theme. Corsages, crowns, and clumsy dancing will be in abundance during the affair, which will also include a king and queen being selected. The party starts at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/16-best-labor-day-weekend-parties-in-phoenix-8589159 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/53b0f249c8b36e11d13b68d2bb6a3048eb83e3d5d14b7911e53633d0b0ae7090.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:47 | null | 2016-08-29T09:06:00 | The EEOC has filed a federal lawsuit against Bell Lexus of north Scottsdale, alleging that the dealership offered a job to a Fountain Hills woman but... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fscottsdale-lexus-dealer-boasted-of-out-of-step-values-in-rescinding-job-offer-eeoc-alleges-8596615.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8596648/adderall-tony-webster-flickr.jpg | en | null | Scottsdale Lexus Dealer Boasted of 'Out of Step' Values in Rescinding Job Offer, EEOC Alleges | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | A north Scottsdale car dealership official bragged about its "out-of-step" cultural values after rescinding a job offer because the applicant was using a legally prescribed drug, according to a federal complaint filed last week.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleges that Bell Lexus of north Scottsdale had offered a job to Fountain Hills resident Sara Thorholm but reneged after she tested positive for a drug she'd been prescribed for attention-deficit disorder. The drug is not specified in the complaint.
The EEOC investigated the 2013 case before filing a complaint on Thorholm's behalf against Bell Leasing, the auto dealership's parent company.
Alleging numerous violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Thorholm seeks back pay, compensation for losses, and damages for pain and suffering.
The lawsuit states that Bell Leasing's human-resources policy was applied with "malice or with reckless indifference" to Thorholm's federally protected rights.
Anyone who intends to sue for employment discrimination must first file a charge with the EEOC. But the federal agency only rarely sues on a complainant's behalf. Some complaints are dismissed, others end with the EEOC issuing a so-called Notice of Right to Sue. "EEOC files employment discrimination lawsuits in select cases," the agency states on its website. "Because of limited resources, EEOC cannot file a lawsuit in every case where discrimination has been found."
According to the suit against Bell Leasing, the company initiated a policy in June 2012 that refused employment to anyone who tested positive for a specified list of substances, regardless of whether a doctor had prescribed them to treat an illness.
Thorholm applied at the dealership on 18555 North Scottsdale Road on August 21, 2013, and was offered a job as product specialist or salesperson. She took a drug test the same day. The next day, the company withdrew the offer, notifying Thorholm of the drug-test result.
Thorholm explained to representatives of Bell Lexus that she could provide her prescription and other documentation showing her need for the drug, according to the complaint. She also offered to have her doctor change her medication.
But the company's human-resources director, Jim Krbec, refused to consider any of Thorholm's explanations, the complaint alleges.
"We choose to maintain a working climate that is a little out of step with contemporary values," Krbec allegedly told Thorholm.
Krbec has since the left the company, Bell Lexus tells New Times.
Before filing suit, the EEOC attempted to settle the matter on Thorholm's behalf.
"A blanket-exclusion policy based on drug use does not accomplish that goal, and may cause problems for the employer if it applies such a policy," Elizabeth Cadle, acting director of EEOC Phoenix, said in a written statement. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/scottsdale-lexus-dealer-boasted-of-out-of-step-values-in-rescinding-job-offer-eeoc-alleges-8596615 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/3c50dd55f822707364e70ebc9ce8bd72772924c07e46c5d33216ebb31e364fa7.json |
[
"Lauren Cusimano"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:58 | null | 2016-08-30T07:00:00 | Phoenix New Times' What Are You Wearing? series continues with Phoenix drag queen Celia Putty discussing fashion influences, including Liza Minnelli... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fphoenix-drag-queen-celia-putty-what-are-you-wearing-8532205.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8532222/celia-putty-lauren-cusimano-white-dress.jpg | en | null | Phoenix Drag Queen Celia Putty, What Are You Wearing? | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND “I’ve always played around with wigs since I was little," says Celia Putty. Lauren Cusimano
Celia Putty can find the humor in just about anything. Ask anyone who's seen Putty take the small stage at Plazma for Celia Putty's Freaky Friday – the weekly drag show starring our hero and several more local drag performers.
Putty’s parents were performing musicians, so the stage is like a second home. “I’ve always played around with wigs since I was little,” she says. “As I got older, I wanted to do more comedy type things, because things are funny in drag … especially if it's glamorous drag, like that Priscilla Presley, Naked Gun type of humor.” She started at 17 with another Phoenix drag staple, Barbra Seville, with a youth drag show. When Halloween and talent shows stopped cutting it, she created the persona Celia Putty and got in on the pageant scene. She won Miss Gay Phoenix in 1994, placed in Miss Gay America, and did a show in Biloxi, Mississippi, for a year. “I learned so much, it was like being in drag school." She then took a decade off, only to come roaring back six years ago.
EXPAND Celia Putty's Freaky Friday is a weekly drag show at 9 p.m. at Plazma. Lauren Cusimano
Putty’s numbers have included everyone from Lucille Ball (the original name was Celia McGillicuddy Putty) and Liza Minnelli to Natalie Merchant for a spell in the 1990s – "which is ridiculous," she concedes – to Lana Del Rey and even Norma Bates. In addition to the many props and lip-syncing routines Putty deals with on a weekly basis, there are also costumes to contend with – and that means you have to get creative. We won’t give away all the imaginative thrift-store finds and up-cycle tricks Putty has used here, but let’s just say: Things get weird.
“I’m like the last person on Earth who should be asked about fashion,” Putty says, “However, that being said …”
How would you describe your sense of style?
My presentation of fashion and glamour is best, if not always, served rare and glazed in chopped cheek with the lamb’s tongue left in. Sounds even better in French, “langue dans la joue.” But I flunked French, and the series is about fashion, not food. Food foils fashion anyway. Like rock, paper, scissors.
Where do you shop?
Let’s just say I’m super excited about the new Ross Dress For Less that’s coming over to 32nd Street and Indian School. It’s slightly closer than the other one. We all call it Ross Cross-Dress for Less, and you must know they have great deals. I’m sure half the stuff I have up on the rack right now is from Ross.
Last Chance is a great place …Walmart can be fun for bathing suits, specifically. One of the most expensive places I use is with Sylvia Danese over at Danese Creations on Indian School over where the funeral home used to be. And she’s a wonderful woman, really awesome, and very specialized.
I can find a lot of the things I need at the thrift stores for the types of things that I do, like I put together Velma Dinkley recently from Scooby Doo … I like to put together things like that. The Virgin Mary, for instance, is something I do at Christmas time. I went over to Last Chance and bought a white dress, and bought a blue dress, and sewed them together.
EXPAND The rack backstage at Plazma before Freaky Friday. Lauren Cusimano
What was the last piece you got?
It was a gully suit. Do you know what that is? When you are hunting, and you don’t want the deer to see you before you kill [the deer], you wear a camouflage gully suit, which is a complete legs [and arms] and it's made out of moss. And that’s not a drag thing, but I’ve used it for drag things.
What's one of the weirdest things in your closet?
The gully suit, definitely, and I also have a fake deer that I put on a stick and carry behind me. We had to do … evil villains once for a pageant, and I was like, “Oh, I don’t want to do this. Everyone’s going to do Cruella, everyone’s going to do the Snow Queen, everybody’s going to do Maleficent." I was like, "Oh, I’m over it, I don’t want to do it. Oh wait, I could be the hunter who killed Bambi’s mom.” That was bizarre.
So, other weird things. I did collect all my panty hose for five years. I saved every panty hose that ever ran, every tight that ever ran. I didn’t throw them away because, during my Virgin Mary number – which is a take off the Discovery [Life’s] I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant – I created about a nine-foot giant umbilical cord made of panty hose … it’s creepy.
I have so many bizarre things … I have like three conjoined-twin numbers now. And you've got to be careful because with a lot of this stuff, you will offend people. Oh my God, who would’ve ever dreamed that after my conjoined twins number, someone would pull me aside and ask what I knew about conjoined twins, fetus and fetu, et cetera, et cetera? Because [Putty puts on a serious voice]: “I had been a conjoined twin, my sister was separated from me and she died.” And I’m like, “Are you serious? Let me see the scar.”
EXPAND Audience participation is encouraged at Celia Putty's Freaky Friday. Lauren Cusimano
Who are your fashion inspirations?
Lana Del Rey, currently, I love her. Now some people don’t agree, but I don’t care. I love Lana Del Rey. Now, I’ve done Liza Minnelli as a character for 20 years. I love all that costume, sequin stuff. I have quite a bit of it. I usually project a very wholesome image … That’s been my image, so I have often been inspired by that wholesome girl look, kind of like the Reese Witherspoon or like Julia Roberts. I’m not very slutty like some other performers, but you may disagree when you see my first number.
What is your earliest memory of fashion?
I don’t think I ever got over that "growing up wanting to be the little girl wearing pretty things." I mean, in my opinion, if you want to dress like a girl, it’s because you like frilly things. You want to have that big dress that when you turn around, it spins around, so I was influenced by the Miss America pageants on TV. I was influenced by Lawrence Welk, I was influenced by Hee Haw at some level – but nobody knows what that is anymore, probably thankfully. I like all that stuff. I’m not necessarily the hippest person, but I’m also not wearing the same thing that people are wearing, so at least I have that.
EXPAND "I’m not very slutty like some other performers, but you may disagree when you see my first number." Lauren Cusimano
What is one piece of advice you'd give to people in Phoenix about fashion?
Well, they need to stop wearing flip-flops, that’s like a pet peeve of mine. I hate flip-flops. The only time I ever use a flip-flop is during a Julia Sugarbaker number where I pull one out of my purse and tell people they need to get up. I just hate them. So that’s my advice; stop wearing those flip flops ... and pajamas to Walmart. Because I love Walmart.
What are you wearing tonight?
Well, right now I’m wearing a cute little tank top that I got from Goodwill.
EXPAND Richie Black preps backstage for Celia Putty's Freaky Friday at Plazma in a cute little tank top from Goodwill. Lauren Cusimano
Anything to add?
Don’t just judge drag from what you see on TV, because just like Jerry Springer, it’s not real. If someone really wants to enjoy what drag is really like, come to one of the shows – wherever, it doesn’t have to be mine – and try to peek backstage and see what it's really like. Because we’ll all agree that it’s very different from what they project on TV.
And a possible alternate future:
There’s always that fantasy of, if I gain a lot of weight, and one day I might, that I’ll change my name to a calendar-type name like April May June. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/phoenix-drag-queen-celia-putty-what-are-you-wearing-8532205 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/02faa1bd5acd9975e8fa185a2a980f14139c55178417b804778fe9ca8b2e8bfb.json |
[
"Amanda Savage"
] | 2016-08-31T12:50:06 | null | 2016-08-31T04:30:00 | It's all the same. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fmstrkrft-has-the-same-problem-with-dance-music-that-you-do-8600036.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8600038/mstrkrft.jpg | en | null | MSTRKRFT Has Some Issues With Dance Music | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND MSTRKRFT's Jesse Keeler says dance music got too predictable. Courtesy of MSTRKRFT
"When I go out, I want to hear things I’ve never heard” explains Jesse Keeler, who’s half of the electronic music duo MSTRKRFT. “I feel like dance music was all about that forever, then at least in the last while, people have been too worried about, I guess, losing a crowd or losing fans. … You used to really be able to see the character of the person playing.”
Keeler comes at this issue from a position of authority, and his ideas make sense on their head. The more popular a musical movement gets, the more generic it will sound. MSTRKRFT entered the scene nearly a decade ago. He and Al-P (Alex Puodziuka) surfed the cresting dance music wave with hits like “Bounce” and “Heartbreaker” only to seemingly vanish as the wave crashed and drowned us all.
“I don’t want to say that we did this on purpose, but I think what you call ‘mellowing out’ for us seems like a beautiful resetting time [in dance music] where … it seems like people care a lot more about music again. It seemed like there was a time not so long ago where it just kind of felt like people … they didn’t really care about what they were going to see. They just wanted to see something,” Keeler says.
MSTRKRFT released their first new music in five years in July in the form of a new album called OPERATOR. They’re currently on tour and will perform at Livewire in Scottsdale on Sunday, September 4.
(The last time they were in town, they took separate flights — Al-P’s was late, leaving Keller to start without him. But luckily three songs into the set, Al-P showed up, luggage in hand, ready to go.)
OPERATOR is the band’s first album since 2009. Keller, being the bassist for Death From Above 1979, has kept busy in the meantime, touring and recording an album with his other band. But last year, he started to think the time was ripe to revisit his electronic project.
“For us, it didn’t seem like too long of a gap,” explains Keller. He wanted to make sure that when they made another album, it was for the right reason.
“We wanted to make sure we didn’t come back unless we had something to say musically,” says Keller. “I know for me, I was at Coachella in 2011 … I remember walking, hanging out around, and going to the dance tent because I wanted to see friends and stuff. I just couldn’t believe how many times I heard the same songs,” explains Keller. “That’s the dilemma; as a fan, you kind of get burned out.”
Al-P and Keller worked around Keller’s tour schedule, and actually started recording music for what would become OPERATOR in 2013.
“We were a little sick and tired of fabricating stuff inside the computer. Another aspect of it is that Jesse and I both come from band backgrounds, and we always wanted to make electronic music live,” Al-P says.
The dissatisfaction with the idea of an autopilot DJ and the feeling that new fans were missing out on everything dance music should be motivated Al-P and Keller to work with only analog when they produced together.
“There’s a conception that [analog is] a huge limitation, but it doesn’t have to be,” Keller explains. “By the record, we show that you’re really only limited by your creativity.”
For the most part, Keller and Al-P are anti-technologists (except for search-engine optimization, which was a motivating factor in the spelling of their name MSTRKRFT) and were determined to produce something new and to guide fans back to dance music’s roots.
“For us, a big part of this current sound that we’re working with is the sound of all of the analog machines and synthesizers themselves. ... We did want to show a bit of range, in terms of what we were interested in and what we were capable of doing,” explains Al-P. “Sometimes, what we get back from them [the machines] is surprising and unexpected. Instead of shying away from that, we try to embrace it. ... In the end, it always ends up sounding like us.”
The result of their efforts is nothing like the melodic anthems they produced in the past; their gears have shifted to pleasing the real, scrappy dance-music fan (themselves included), the one who’s on the hunt through the depths of the internet and questionable warehouses in inner cities.
“This time, right now, in dance music is one of the more creative times that I’ve ever witnessed. But it’s all in the underground,” Keller says. “I think that right now, there’s so many really interesting artists who are pushing boundaries around and really trying to make their mark by being creative, but that’s not just stuff you’re going to hear everywhere.”
Al-P and Keller explain that they bring onstage with them everything that was used to make the album. So it’s a real, live creative demonstration of how they create music, which provides them with the ability to alter and change their ideas as they groove throughout the night.
“Half of what we do on stage, we’re making up for the room … We’re actually making music up on the spot, based off the vibe in the room. ... It’s way more work than DJing, but it’s so fun,” explains Keller. “But I think things are mellowing out, at least from what I’ve noticed. The yearning to be challenged and get things done differently and to hear new sounds and new ideas is great at the moment.”
In a full-circle, self-fulfilling prophecy kind of way, the underground creatives they admired turned them into underground creatives themselves, who aspire to inspire and ignite that excitement for dance music again. Their dedication to the underground turned them into mainstream creatives that may again influence a whole other set of underground creatives. Whoa.
“Yeah, it is fun, but it’s also artistically something that I think we feel we have to do,” says Keller. “Real art is made because you have to make it — right? You’re not making it because somebody told you to. We’ve been working away on this music and on this record for the past three years, and we did it without anyone paying attention to what we were doing. Because we enjoy it.”
MSTRKRFT is scheduled to play Livewire in Scottsdale on Sunday, September 4. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/mstrkrft-has-the-same-problem-with-dance-music-that-you-do-8600036 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/b8957b168ed01a819479867d77ddb3f160b8f8e18e0c83b98144ae2c3619f5a0.json |
[
"Ray Stern"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:34 | null | 2016-08-25T07:03:00 | A founding partner of the consulting firm that's running the campaign to raise Arizona's minimum wage made a $100,000 contribution to the campaign on... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Farizonas-minimum-wage-initiative-saved-by-political-consultants-inheritance-8582683.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8583162/scheel-bill-1.jpg | en | null | Arizona Minimum-Wage Initiative Saved by Consultant's $100K Loan | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Matthew Hendley
The campaign manager for a group trying to raise Arizona's minimum wage said on Wednesday that the effort was helped considerably by his own timely loan of $100,000.
Bill Scheel is one of three founding partners of the public-relations and political-strategy firm Javelina, which Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families hired to run its campaign. The Phoenix-based firm got the job done in the form of Proposition 206, which will appear on the November 8 ballot.
Preliminary state campaign-finance records show that Bright Owl, a limited liability company of which Scheel is the sole member and manager, made a $100,000 contribution to the campaign on August 4.
Asked on Wednesday about the cash infusion, Scheel said the money is an interest-free loan, not a donation, and that it will be classified as such on the campaign's official pre-primary report, which is due to the state on Friday.
According to Scheel, the loan came in the nick of time to cover legal fees for an unexpected court challenge to the initiative, and was made possible by money he inherited after his parents died a few years ago.
"I couldn't think of a better way to honor their memory than to provide this loan, which has helped get our Healthy Working Families initiative on the ballot," he said.
Bill Scheel Courtesy of Bill Scheel
If Arizona voters approve the measure, the state's minimum wage would go up to $10 an hour next year and rise to $12 in 2020.
But it almost didn't make the ballot. The Arizona Restaurant Association sued, claiming many of the petition gatherers hired by the campaign ineligible to collect signatures. The association wanted tens of thousands of signatures thrown out, potentially enough to knock the initiative off the ballot.
The campaign itself was in need of a raise.
Before Scheel's loan, the two largest payments to the campaign were a July 19 donation of $25,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers union Region 8 States Council, and a May 12 donation of $25,000 from the California-based Fairness Project. Prior to that, records show, from January 1 to May 31, the effort was funded with $384,642 donated by the nonprofit activist group Living United for Change in Arizona, (LUCHA), which reportedly received money for the effort from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Popular Democracy.
During that same period in the first half of 2016, the group spent $337,975.59 on signature gatherers, printing services, and other expenses, including $3,000 in consulting fees paid to Tomas Robles, the campaign's chairman and LUCHA's executive director.
Scheel says the campaign pays his company $10,000 a month for campaign management, plus another $5,000 a month for communications, all of which is split by several people at Javelina.
On top of all those expenses came the legal bills for the lawsuit by the restaurant association.
"We didn't have money set aside for legal expenses," Scheel explained, adding that his loan was a "huge help" to the campaign. It was also a risk to put his own money on the line, he admitted.
"If the court had ruled against us last Friday, my $100,000 would be gone," he said. "Legal fees is basically what [the money] was spent on."
The group's tenacity, along with Scheel's inheritance money, paid off in the courtroom. Last week, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit because the association filed the complaint seven days after the signatures were submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, exceeding the statutory limit of five days.
Now, the website for Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families lists Bright Owl as a major funding source, along with LUCHA, the UCFW, and the Fairness Project.
Scheel, who hasn't made any other contributions to the campaign, expects to be repaid out of donations that come in between now and November, he said.
"There will be future donations coming into the campaign from donors," he said. "About $1.5 million."
In response to questions from New Times, he said he hasn't made any deals with the unions and activist groups behind the campaign, nor does he expect anything in return other than repayment, if the group can manage it. His loan simply came at the right time and was a "huge help" to the legal effort that saved the initiative, he said.
"This really is a labor of love for me," Scheel said. "When I work on a campaign, I go all in. I want it to succeed." | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizonas-minimum-wage-initiative-saved-by-political-consultants-inheritance-8582683 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/4916119abc3ccc4083763f008aad20bd80f7d3902bc7ed80a45db702a588cd52.json |
[
"Pete Vonder Haar"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:12 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers may very well be the film that finally convinces audiences the emperor has no hockey jersey.g | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Fyoga-hosers-finds-kevin-smith-barely-making-a-movie-8589963.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7307573/yoga_hosers.jpg | en | null | Yoga Hosers Finds Kevin Smith Barely Making a Movie | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND "My love for you is like a truck, berserker..." Courtesy of Invincible Pictures
Were we wrong to root for Kevin Smith?
When he burst onto the scene in 1994, it was the most improbable of rags-to-riches movie narratives: bankrolling Clerks by selling his comic book collection and running up thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Almost overnight, he joined the likes of Rodriguez and Tarantino as indie film royalty. Unlike them, however, Smith seemed like a regular dude with mainstream tastes — an everyman in a hockey sweater — and audiences were eager to see what he’d come up with next.
Film Details Yoga Hosers Rating: PG-13 Genre: Comedy Running Time: 88 min. More Info Trailer
It seems appropriate this year to frame everything in the context of the election, which is why I'm going to compare Kevin Smith to Donald Trump. No, Smith’s not a sentient collection of racist gas spores, but as with Trump and the Republican nomination, Smith after Sundance seemed wholly unprepared once his initial efforts to succeed actually worked — and he appeared unwilling to accept the subsequent responsibilities. In any event, Smith’s post-Clerks career comes across, at best, like a great deal of unrealized potential.
Which brings us to Yoga Hosers, the second in Smith’s promised (threatened?) “True North” trilogy of movies set in Canada for no apparent reason other than that he appears to find the accents hilarious. (The first was the walrus-themed horror film Tusk.) Lily-Rose Depp and Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn, play the hosers, both named Colleen. The pair works at the “Eh-2-Zed” convenience store when not holding band practice or peering obsessively into their smartphones. What might sound like fairly typical teen-movie fare eventually morphs into something more sinister involving Canadian Nazis, mutant sodomizing bratwursts, and the return of Tusk’s Quebecois man-hunter Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp).
Depp, nearly unrecognizable under bushy eyebrows and a beret (of course), and almost unintelligible thanks to a Monty Python-esque French accent, serves to move along what there is of the plot. The film meanders for nearly half its scant running time before getting to something resembling conflict. Along the way, there’s an entirely unnecessary subplot involving high school Satanists and interludes with Justin Long playing a yoga guru named “Yogi Bayer” (yes) and Tony Hale as the father of one of the Colleens. And then there are the Canadian jokes.
Then again, “jokes” implies something entertainingly humorous, whereas that lone selfie those hikers shot with Justin Trudeau was a better Canadian chuckle than Yoga Hosers’ death by a thousand “aboots.” Smith’s obsession with the Great White North is almost as puzzling as his inability to wrest anything remotely funny from the surroundings. The convenience store boasts the “world’s largest collection of artisanal maple syrups,” because it’s Canada, and everybody’s weapon of choice is a hockey stick. Because it’s Canada. There are even two minutes over the end credits of Smith and co-host Scott Mosier’s “Smodcast” of the two men cracking each other up over their Canuck impressions.
This is probably the most honest part of the film, because at its core, Yoga Hosers isn’t a movie: It’s a podcast riff given material form; a bong rip visualized; an SCTV sketch devoid of laughs. It struggles to fill an hour and a half, with most of the cast serving little purpose beyond padding things out a few more minutes. The Colleens sing two songs (Anthrax’s “I’m the Man” and Styx’s “Babe”), and the villain, Arcane (Ralph Garman), explains his evil scheme while impersonating — among others — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Al Pacino, the better to squeeze the last remaining guffaws from “Whoo-ah!” (reminder: Scent of a Woman was released 24 years ago).
Perhaps more significant is how Yoga Hosers shows Smith’s continued devolution as a filmmaker. Flawed as movies like Dogma and Clerks II were, there was always a scene or two upon which to pin future hopes. Here, only the reliably up-for-anything Long and a surprisingly game performance by Sasheer Zamata (as the girls’ school principal) are worth noting. Everything else is either rehashed material from Smith’s previous works (clerk Colleen M. is “not even supposed to be here today,” while Arcane’s riffs are reminiscent of Tracy Morgan’s quote-a-thon in Cop Out), poorly developed concepts (the Colleens’ dialogue is almost a parody of how teens actually talk) and an apparently honest desire to kill his critics.
Smith has repeatedly reminded the world that his movies “aren’t for critics,” and he has embarked on distribution schemes to support this assertion. And yet, in Yoga Hosers, he resurrects his need to get even with his detractors, a need he's expressed since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Many characters, including Arcane, express their hatred of “haters.” Arcane's evil creation is even specifically designed to seek out and murder critics, who it turns out were responsible for his ultimate turn to evil. It’s very Shyamalan-esque (or, at least, Lady in the Water–esque), which is interesting considering the two directors once feuded. Nothing like a shared interest to bring people together.
Yoga Hosers is lazy, unfunny, and self-indulgent. It should have been binned the second the (literal) smoke cleared, and while it’s been clear for some time that Smith is either incapable of making a good movie or simply doesn’t care to, Yoga Hosers may very well be the film that finally convinces audiences the emperor has no hockey jersey. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/yoga-hosers-finds-kevin-smith-barely-making-a-movie-8589963 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/e3f4ddfbbf478a9c34310fbaa112e93fb0be231adddcf3405933b83fd7e223f0.json |
[
"Lauren Saria"
] | 2016-08-29T18:49:37 | null | 2016-08-29T10:00:00 | 32. Tony Chanthavong of Snoh Ice Shavery | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Ftony-chanthavong-of-snoh-ice-shavery-on-thai-e-san-and-taco-tuesday-at-los-taquitos-8594998.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8595000/tony-snoh.jpg | en | null | Tony Chanthavong of Snoh Ice Shavery on Thai-E-San and Taco Tuesday at Los Taquitos | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Courtesy of Tony Chanthavong
From now until we publish the 2016 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times is naming 100 Tastemakers — members of our local culinary community who help shape the way we eat, drink, and think about food in Phoenix. Some you'll know, and for others, it'll be a first introduction, but each person on our list deserves a nod for helping make our city so delicious. Oh, and while you're here, be sure to check out our list of 100 Creatives.
32. Tony Chanthavong of Snoh Ice Shavery
These days you can find Taiwanese-style shave ice at a handful of shops around metro Phoenix, but back in 2013, you'd have been hard-pressed to find anyone around here who even know what the stuff was. That changed thanks to Tony Chanthavong, who opened Snoh Ice Shavery in Phoenix about three years ago. The former radiologist came to Arizona from southern California more than a decade ago, and came up with the idea to open a Taiwanese shave ice shop in 2012.
These days, Chanthavong's Snoh Ice Shavery is still one of the most popular dessert destinations in central Phoenix — thanks in no small part to the menu of creamy-but-light shaved ice, which comes in flavors such as mango, green tea, and taro. Earlier this year, Chanthavong announced plans to open a second location in downtown Phoenix, next door to the popular Cobra Arcade Bar. The second shop will be even larger than the first, and in addition to the menu of shaved ice and boba drinks, diners can look forward to an expanded menu with some savory snacks.
Today, Chanthavong dishes on his go-to place for Thai food and his culinary guilty pleasure.
My go-to place for Thai food in Phoenix is Thai E-San on Seventh Avenue and Indian School Road. The lady owner there has been serving Asian dishes in the Valley for the past 30 years. Her flavoring and spices are legit! My fam and friends approve.
The best-kept secret in Phoenix is Niccoli's Italian Grocery & Deli. Small Italian market with imported goods ran by two old loving couples with an East Coast Italian vibe. The breads baked there in the mornings are amazing, go great with all their selections of Italian cheese and meats, and if you have a hard time making a decision, just ask the lady ... she'll help break your tastes and interests down.
I'm totally obsessed with calamari and mussels right now, and totally over shrimp.
My culinary guilty pleasure is Taco Tuesdays at Los Taquitos — $1 pastor tacos.
My favorite food city is my hometown neighborhood — I was raised up back in Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley area — because that's where you'll find the best authentic Asian dishes in the States — inexpensive, too.
The 2016 Tastemakers so far:
100. Aaron Chamberlin of St. Francis and Phoenix Public Market Cafe
99. Ross Simon of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
98. Debby Wolvos of DW Photography
97. Anibal and Salem Beyene of Café Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
96. Bo Mostow of Uptown Farmers Market
95. Julian Wright of Pedal Haus Brewery
94. Stephen Jones of The Larder + The Delta
93. Eric Glomski of Page Spring Cellars
92. Richard Bock of Giuseppe's on 28th
91. Walter Sterling of Ocotillo
90. Daniel Sevilla of Angry Crab Shack
89. Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe
88. LaDawn Driscoll of Liberty Market
87. Jason Calhoon of The Shop Beer Co. and Side Kick Cold Brew
86. Tim and Kim Cobb of United Lunchadores Street Gourmet
85. Micah Olson of Bar Crudo and Okra Cookhouse and Cocktails
84. Paola Embry of Christopher's + Crush and The Wrigley Mansion
83. Jared Porter of The Clever Koi
82. Diane Corieri of Evening Entertainment Group
81. Erich Schultz of Steadfast Farm
80. Jeff and Leah Huss of Huss Brewing Company
79. Aaron Pool of Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup
78. Diana Santospago of The Maine Lobster Lady food truck
77. Gio Osso of Virtu Honest Craft and Nico Heirloom Kitchen
76. Lauren Bailey of Upward Projects
75. Rodney Hu of Arizona Distilling Company and Yucca Tap Room
74. Jacob Cutino of Homeboy's Hot Sauce
73. Country and Sergio Velador of Super Chunk Sweets and Treats
72. Dean Thomas of Cornish Pasty Co.
71. Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus
70. Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ
69. Jared Allen of Proof Artisan Breads
68. Steve McFate of McFate Brewing Company
67. Mel Mecinas of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
66. Jessa and Dan Koppenhofer of Gilbert Farmers Market
65. Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks
64. Ryan Probst of Odelay Bagel Co.
63. Diana Brandt of AZFoodie
62. Benjamin Butler of Hayden Flour Mills
61. Jim and Maureen Elitzak of Zak's Chocolate
60. Michael Babcock of Welcome Diner and Welcome Chicken + Donuts
59. Nick Ambeliotis of Mediterra Bakehouse
58. Peter Kasperski of Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar
57. Kimber Stonehouse of LGO Hospitality
56. David Tyda of EATERAZ and Arizona Taco Festival
55. Pavle Milic of FnB
54. Pat Christofolo of Santa Barbara Catering Company and The Farm at South Mountain
53. Brandon Casey of The Ostrich
52. Jonathan Buford of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
51. Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots
50. Rob Fullmer of Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
49. Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys of AZ Bitters Lab
48. Ramona Button of Ramona Farms
47. Justin Piazza of La Piazza Al Forno and La Piazza PHX
46. Andrew Gooi of Food Talkies
45. Jason Raducha of Noble Bread and Noble Eatery
44. Ty Largo of Awe Collective
43. Christopher Gross of Christopher's and Crush Lounge
42. Heidi Lee of Into The Soup
41. ET Rivera of Tres Leches Cafe
40. Monika Woolsey of Hip Veggies
39. Bobby Kramer of The Brickyard
38. Jenna Reeves of Press Coffee Roasters
37. Sarah Chisholm of Phoenix Public Market Cafe
36. Bill Kennedy of Futuro
35. Jan Bracamonte of J. Lauren PR & Marketing
34. Erin Romanoff of the uprooted kitchen
33. Baker Mandy Bublitz | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/tony-chanthavong-of-snoh-ice-shavery-on-thai-e-san-and-taco-tuesday-at-los-taquitos-8594998 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/35d7475b5e7fff26132957077667a917cb0b43a366e6561842f1f0290b7573f9.json |
[
"Lauren Cusimano"
] | 2016-08-29T20:49:44 | null | 2016-08-29T08:00:00 | A new bakery and tea shop opens its doors in Old Town Scottsdale on Tuesday, August 30. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fruze-cake-house-and-teaspressa-open-this-week-in-old-town-scottsdale-8590450.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8594995/image1.jpg | en | null | Ruze Cake House & Teaspressa Open Tomorrow in Old Town Scottsdale | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND You'll find the Ruze Latte, iced or hot tea, cupcakes, and macarons at the shared Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa shop in Scottsdale. Lauren Cusimano
Old Town Scottsdale diners will gain a new spot for sweets and tea when Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa, located at 7033 East Main Street, opens to the public Wednesday, August 31. The teahouse, bakery, dessert shop, and breakfast shop all rolled into one comes from owners Jessica Boutwell and Allison DeVane, two entrepreneurs who collaborated to bring the shared space to life.
Boutwell's bakery offers a menu of cupcakes, cookies, macarons, and other desserts, which will be complemented by Devane's Teaspressa drinks.
Cupcake choices include coconut ganache, almond strawberry, lemon raspberry, pink velvet, and carrot topped with old-fashioned cream cheese buttercream. Other Ruze bakery items include cactus cookies, macarons, and other treats, in addition to the iconic cakes that put the bakery on the map.
DeVane’s Teaspressa, which was established in February 2015 and was featured on Shark Tank’s seventh season, makes up the other half of the menu. Drinks are made with concentrated tea, much like an espresso, and offer as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. If you’re having trouble ordering, you may be asked about your usual coffee order, and be suggested a hot or iced beverage with a similar flavor profile.
You'll find the Insta-worthy shop on the south side of Main Street between Goldwater Boulevard and Marshall Way. Visitors are first met with something like Stan Getz playing in the sunlight-filled room and a neon sign reading, “Stop & Taste The Roses.” The white-walled and white-floored space includes wood, copper, and greenery accents – plus handmade hickory tables and a bench seated with 16 copper chairs. Houseplants adorn white shelves offering French presses, pre-packaged cookies, Standard Wax candles, and sugar cubes for sale.
Starting tomorrow, August 30, operating hours will be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
For more information, visit the Ruze Cake House or Teaspressa website.
Editor's Note: This post has been changed from its original version. Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa will open on Wednesday, August 31, not on Tuesday, August 30 as previously noted. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/ruze-cake-house-and-teaspressa-open-this-week-in-old-town-scottsdale-8590450 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/c86f9b52c7f438700f57a8a907246fc1893709dd1783f2da77eb1795e188dc72.json |
[
"Bilge Ebiri"
] | 2016-08-31T14:50:01 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | We recently discussed the 1992 Oscar winner with Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, and director James Ivory. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Femma-thompson-vanessa-redgrave-and-james-ivory-on-the-enduring-power-of-howards-end-8589978.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7307585/howards-ends-2-credit-cohen_media_group.jpg | en | null | Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave and James Ivory on the Enduring Power of Howards End | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Courtesy of Cohen Media Group
Don’t ever make the mistake of dismissing James Ivory’s E.M. Forster adaptation Howards End as a mere “costume drama.” Yes, the characters wear corsets and evening suits and talk through manners and inheritance. But in its own way, Ivory’s film — which has been newly restored and is being re-released ahead of its 25th anniversary — has more to say about class, love, and marriage than many other contemporary (and purportedly edgier) movies. And it’s hard not to feel like Howards End represents a kind of filmmaking that we’ve since lost — well-written, nuanced, and filled with complex roles, many of them for women. We recently discussed the 1992 Oscar winner with Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, and director James Ivory.
When you watch something like this, after all these years, do you experience it as a film, or as a memory? Do you see yourself up there, or do you see the character?
Vanessa Redgrave: I can’t generalize, but in the case of Howards End, it’s taken on its own life. I can remember the filming of some of the scenes, and of course I know Emma even better now than I did at the time. But for me, it’s already taken on a kind of truth. I’m not seeing it as “That’s me up there.” I’m seeing it as Mrs. Wilcox up there. I believe in all these people that I’m seeing and getting totally involved.
What were the biggest challenges in adapting a novel like this?
James Ivory: Probably the biggest challenge Ruth Jhabvala had was to boil it all down to a size where you could tell the story in roughly two hours; the film wound up being two hours and 20 minutes. Luckily, Ruth had another Forster novel to practice on, Room with a View, which she did terribly well also. But she herself was an absolutely marvelous fiction writer and novelist. She also found that the book had its flaws. For example, Forster wasn’t really much at home with the working-class characters of Leonard Bast and Jacky Bast. They weren’t the kinds of people that he would have known, or had real feelings for. His feelings were all for the upper-middle-class educated types that mainly make up the book — although you can’t say the Wilcoxes are educated in quite the same way that the Schlegels are. Ruth felt that Leonard and Jacky had to be given a kind of boost. Since they’re really the pivot that the whole story turns on in a way, they had to be made much more interesting and touching as people.
Emma Thompson: What was interesting was the things you could afford to leave out. One of the most famous scenes in the book is when my character, Margaret, is talking to her sister Helen [played by Helena Bonham Carter] about connecting — that’s the “only connect” line that everyone quotes ad nauseam — and Jim was absolutely determined to get it in the movie. It was a scene of two people talking, so we could do it absolutely anywhere. But we were always on the run to try and get the film finished, and we kept on putting it off and putting it off. Finally, we got to a day when we could do it, and we shot it, and Jim was terribly, terribly happy ... and then he cut it from the finished film! [Laughs] You’d seen the idea already represented in some ways that’s not conveyable in a novel. You didn’t need her to say it as well.
Emma, I believe you actually wrote a letter to James Ivory asking him to consider you for the part of Margaret?
Thompson: Yes, it was the only time I’ve ever written to the director. I knew the book very well, and I knew her, and I said, “Listen, please take me seriously, because I do know how to play this woman.” And luckily for me, they did. It was only my fifth movie. It was quite new to me, this kind of experience.
Ivory: If somebody struck me as being right, and I liked their personality and appearance, I never worried about taking a risk with anyone. When Emma came to see me, she didn’t read from the script — she read straight from the novel. And I just mentally cast her on the spot. I said, “I have my Margaret now.” It was her first really major big-screen part. She had appeared in a couple of films before that. After we were finished, she said, “You know, I know I will probably never have such a good part again.” And she won an Oscar for it.
I’m intrigued by the transformation of Margaret Schlegel over the course of the film. At first, she’s vivacious, chatty — quite a sharp contrast with Mrs. Wilcox.
Redgrave: Emma’s character observes the fact at a certain point that they all talk too much, dissecting everything and analyzing everything, putting them down. But you’ll notice that as she encounters problems in the relationship with a man she loves, she becomes slower, more thoughtful. And you get even more interested in what she’s going to say, and how she’s going to react. Those scenes between Emma and Tony [Hopkins, who plays Henry Wilcox] are extraordinary. That’s something that happens — things become more considered, the tempo becomes slower. And although Mrs. Wilcox was a very different woman, there is a connection between them after all, which is that Mrs. Wilcox also loved this man, and Emma’s character loves this man. And he’s not at first sight the kind of man that you think an enlightened woman would want to know.
There are hints along the way to this transformation, but by the end, Margaret has turned into Mrs. Wilcox, in a way. The film begins and ends with a quiet woman: The opening scene is Ruth Wilcox walking through her garden quietly. In the final scene, Margaret barely says a word. We don’t quite get the sense that she’s lost her soul, but we feel like something has been lost, even if we don’t quite know what it is.
Thompson: That’s well put. You don’t quite know what it is, but it’s something, surely. Maybe it’s something because there wasn’t anything for her at that time. Where would she have gone? What would she have done? There’s a very, very good book by George Gissing, called The Odd Women, which is about women who tried to be independent at that time, and the difficulties that they got in, and how ostracized they were. They were true outsiders. And we forget that. Forster’s one of the greatest writers for women — just an extraordinary proto-feminist, really. It’s a most remarkable book, and his understanding of the trap that women were in, this curious relationship between the Wilcoxes and Margaret — it’s just so beautifully drawn.
EXPAND Courtesy of Cohen Media Group
Howards End, and Merchant Ivory films in general, provided many great opportunities for actresses. But even back then, it seemed like there was a dearth of good parts for women in movies. Can we say the situation has gotten even worse?
Thompson: The commodification of everything just got worse and worse. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the market — capitalism — has been allowed to absolutely run wild. That’s got something to do with it, in the sense that having been through a phase of acknowledging that money isn’t everything, we’ve now gone to a phase where money is literally everything. Everything. It’s astonishing what’s happened in the last 30 years, honestly. And I think the film industry has fallen prey to that kind of model, as has the music industry. People in the theater world will tell you the same thing. It’s all about how we turn a profit. The releasing of this monstrous side of capitalism has had such a deleterious effect on so many aspects of our society.
Merchant Ivory turned three of E.M. Forster’s novels into films: A Room with a View, Maurice, and finally Howards End. But it seems like a weird trick of historical fate that you weren’t the ones to film A Passage to India, given both your interest in Forster and the fact that so many of your other films actually take place in India.
Ivory: Let me tell you what happened. Forster didn’t want anybody to make his books into films, and said no all his life. And he said no to Satyajit Ray, who wanted to film A Passage to India. In fact, Ismail [Merchant] was going to produce it, and they went so far that they were thinking about casting Vanessa as the lead. Ray went to England, and met with Forster, and went up to Cambridge and brought one or two of his films — from, I think, the Apu Trilogy — to show. And Forster said, “Yes, they’re wonderful,” but he still refused to let it be made into a movie even though it had been a play and had been on television.
Time passed, and eventually he died. Then, King’s College in Cambridge, who had the rights to those books, decided there were lots of people who wanted to make those films, and decided to get in touch with them. They got in touch with us. But we’d made Heat and Dust, which was our British Raj film set in the 1920s. At this point, what we really wanted to do was A Room with a View. And they said, “What? That little book?” So we got the rights to A Room with a View. And David Lean made A Passage to India.
Howards End feels like the flip side of Room with a View. The earlier film is all about following your passion. Howards End is the opposite — it’s about a woman who learns to settle with and love a man who, in many senses, doesn’t deserve her. Even the opening scenes seem to comment on one another: In A Room with a View, we have characters looking out a window in bright sunlight. The first scene of Howards End is Mrs. Wilcox outside, looking through a window and into a house at dusk. Was that planned?
Ivory: Not by me. A lot of what you do when you make a film is momentary. These things don’t usually jump into your mind, already made. They’re born out of the basic scene, and the facts of the location that you’re on, and what time of day it is, and all those kinds of things. What is the place? Where are the windows? Who’s outside and who’s inside? Of course, in A Room with a View, a window without a view is a big deal. And Howards End concerns a house. So maybe it’s just something in the air.
Did it take long to find the house that would be Howards End, since it figures so importantly in the story?
Ivory: We actually found it quite quickly. We knew more or less what we wanted. We didn’t want some grand English country house; these were essentially middle-class people. The production designer had some friends who she felt had the right house. And there was a big meadow right in front of it, which was called for in the movie. It was basically an enlarged farmhouse. The kind of house that Forster himself had lived in as a man, up until he was 40 or so. I can’t remember if we even looked at other houses. When our Japanese investors came along to see it, they were shocked. “What is this little brick farmhouse? This isn’t what we imagined!” They had thought we were going to shoot in some grand country house. They were startled at the insignificant look of it. But that’s what the story called for.
Something I’ve always been curious about: the very first note on the soundtrack, which always takes me by surprise. It’s a huge musical crash, and it’s the loudest thing in the whole movie — right there at the beginning.
Ivory: I wasn’t entirely happy with that for technical reasons. I didn’t want to fight with the composer, and he wanted it, so I went with it. But after the film was done, sometimes I’d attend a screening to talk about it or something. And very often, the projectionist, hearing that one huge note, thought that he had the sound turned up too high, so he would turn it down. And then everything would be too low — the dialogue, the effects, the rest of the music, everything. It’s plagued me all those years. At Cannes, we sent a message in to the projectionist telling them not to turn down the sound. I still am very nervous about it. It’s a great piece of music, but it brings problems with it.
What was it like seeing the film again after all these years?
Redgrave: I was astounded. Of course, I had thought it was brilliant before. I saw it for the first time in Cannes, whatever year that was when we first showed it. Now, after seeing it for the second time, I didn’t want to speak to anybody afterwards. Of course I had to, because otherwise it would have been rude. But I didn’t really, truly want to — because I was just filled with a mixture of admiration and of angst. I was awestruck by the level of work. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/emma-thompson-vanessa-redgrave-and-james-ivory-on-the-enduring-power-of-howards-end-8589978 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/4c664082b227d85baa7f851df1a3bd5ac4cf557f365b0364ac9a4754e581d6b7.json |
[
"Becky Bartkowski"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:19 | null | 2016-08-26T08:00:00 | Phoenix New Times' 100 Creatives of 2016 continues with Ben Smith of downtown Phoenix's Unexpected Art Gallery. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fben-smith-of-unexpected-art-gallery-in-downtown-phoenix-on-the-joy-of-collaboration-8568696.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8587200/unexpected-art-phoenix-ben-smith.jpg | en | null | 100 Phoenix Creatives 2016: Ben Smith of Unexpected Art Gallery Downtown | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Meet Ben Smith of Unexpected Art Gallery. Courtesy of Ben Smith
Every other year, New Times puts the spotlight on Phoenix's creative forces — painters, dancers, designers, and actors. Leading up to the release of Best of Phoenix, we're taking a closer look at 100 more. Welcome to the 2016 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today is 27. Ben Smith.
Ben Smith knows what he's good at and what he's horrible at. The 48-year-old Phoenician learned when he got his start working as an entrepreneur — then in tech, finance, advertising, and consulting.
Now, he's back in the entrepreneurial realm and working with several companies, including downtown Phoenix relative newcomer Unexpected Gallery. Located just off Grand Avenue, the space combines fine art with on-sale eclectic objects and has hosted art exhibitions, fashion shows, and boundary-defying culture events such as Francisco Flores' "Crystals and Lasers" show in July.
Smith's proper title is chief strategy officer because, he says, "there was no title for a guy who makes stuff happen, dreams big, finds teams to implement, causes change, and reinvents products, people, or companies."
Unexpected is already undergoing a bit of a reinvention. Smith says they're in the process of building out photo, video, and recording studios.
Smith describes his work a weird combination of right- and left-brain thinking with a dose of daydreaming. He loves "what-ifs" and the feeling "when a team comes together and we can brainstorm a theme, recreate a product line, or develop a plan to do something no one has ever seen."
As one might imagine, that doesn't result in many days deemed average. Smith says he spends 70 percent of his waking hours immersed in projects and meetings. "I meet hundreds of amazing souls every week, and I love it," he says.
EXPAND Exterior of Unexpected Art Gallery during the Grand Avenue Festival. Lynn Trimble
I came to Phoenix many years back to get residency my senior year of high school so I could attend U of A.
I make art with words and deals. I deal in artisans, musicians, dancers, designers, and visionaries. Though I have no actual "art" skills, my ability and skills are my art.
I'm most productive when I have a bar of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate and a problem to solve.
My inspiration wall is full of things from almost every single person I meet. I collect ideas and knowledge every day from every interaction.
I've learned most from listening. Sounds silly, but the less I talk, the more I learn.
Good work should always be a goal, but sometimes you just need to call it when a project goes south. No amount of work will make it fly!
The Phoenix creative scene could use more collaboration and exposure. Part of our mission at Unexpected is to create a connecting point for those who live to create and those who can capitalize it, as well as those who wish to experience it.
The 2016 Creatives so far:
100. Nicole Olson
99. Andrew Pielage
98. Jessica Rowe
97. Danny Neumann
96. Beth Cato
95. Jessie Balli
94. Ron May
93. Leonor Aispuro
92. Sarah Waite
91. Christina "Xappa" Franco
90. Christian Adame
89. Tara Sharpe
88. Patricia Sannit
87. Brian Klein
86. Dennita Sewell
85. Garth Johnson
84. Charissa Lucille
83. Ryan Downey
82. Samantha Thompson
81. Cherie Buck-Hutchison
80. Freddie Paull
79. Jennifer Campbell
78. Dwayne Hartford
77. Shaliyah Ben
76. Kym Ventola
75. Matthew Watkins
74. Tom Budzak
73. Rachel Egboro
72. Rosemary Close
71. Ally Haynes-Hamblen
70. Alex Ozers
69. Fawn DeViney
68. Laura Dragon
67. Stephanie Neiheisel
66. Michael Lanier
65. Jessica Rajko
64. Velma Kee Craig
63. Oliver Hibert
62. Joya Scott
61. Raji Ganesan
60. Ashlee Molina
59. Myrlin Hepworth
58. Amy Ettinger
57. Sheila Grinell
56. Forrest Solis
55. Mary Meyer
54. Robert Hoekman Jr.
53. Joan Waters
52. Gabriela Muñoz
51. ColorOrgy
50. Liz Magura
49. Anita and Sam Means
48. Liz Ann Hewett
47. Tiffany Fairall
46. Vanessa Davidson
45. Michelle Dock
44. Nia Witherspoon
43. Monique Sandoval
42. Nayon Iovino
41. Daniel Davisson
40. Andrew King
39. Michelle Moyer
38. Jimmy Nguyen
37. Tiffany Lopez
36. Kristin Bauer
35. Donna Isaac
34. Douglas Miles
33. Sierra Joy
32. Francisco Flores
31. Amy Robinson
30. Julio Cesar Morales
29. Duane Daniels
28. Kelsey Pinckney | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/ben-smith-of-unexpected-art-gallery-in-downtown-phoenix-on-the-joy-of-collaboration-8568696 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/c9ba1e68f4a838602ab92bdeb8f505b7ad64ea3ef44aa9fd0a3d4adba9417550.json |
[
"Becky Bartkowski"
] | 2016-08-30T16:50:11 | null | 2016-08-30T08:00:00 | Phoenix New Times' 100 Creatives series of 2016 continues with Corinne Geertsen, whose show "The Footnote Chronicles" opens this fall at Mesa... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fmesa-artist-corinne-geertsen-on-why-mistakes-are-the-best-teachers-8590387.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8597266/corinne-geertsen-100-creatives.jpg | en | null | 100 Phoenix Creatives 2016: Mesa Artist Corinne Geertsen | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Meet Mesa artist Corinne Geertsen. Jeff Geertsen
Every other year, New Times puts the spotlight on Phoenix's creative forces — painters, dancers, designers, and actors. Leading up to the release of Best of Phoenix, we're taking a closer look at 100 more. Welcome to the 2016 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today is 25. Corinne Geertsen.
For Corinne Geertsen, it's all about the remix.
Though, instead of working the ones and twos, the Mesa artist combines historical photographs with pictures she takes. "I’m going for surreal, humor with a twist of lemon, and psychology," she says. "Mischief and a good plight are excellent, as well."
Such layers of meaning aren't so simple to conjure, and Geertsen knows it. That's why, she says, she's never stopped making pictures. Her consistent practice means she's had the opportunity to learn from mistakes along the way.
The artist loves a challenge, and says it's what keeps her inspired: the push to create a compelling image. It's also what keeps her work, which her website dubs "images of wonder and quirk," in high demand.
Since 2005, the 63-year-old has shown her work across the Valley in some 14 solo exhibitions at such spaces as Vision Gallery and Tempe History Museum, as well as in group shows at Gebert Contemporary and Tempe Center for the Arts. Her work is in the collections of Arizona State University, the City of Phoenix, and Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, where she presents yet another solo show this fall. Opening Friday, September 9, it's called "The Footnote Chronicles."
Her unyielding practice continues to pay off (she's also in the midst of making the exterior of the City of Tempe's time capsule), but the artist isn't content to sit still for long. "My biggest accomplishment is made up of a lot of smaller ones that add up one big one," she says. "Making a good picture, then another one, then another one."
EXPAND Geertsen's piece Singing Lessons is part of an upcoming exhibition at Mesa Arts Center. Corinne Geertsen
I came to Phoenix with a 14-year-old Buick with no air conditioning and an MFA in fine art.
I make art because I’m quite sure if I don’t make my pictures, no one else will.
I'm most productive when my computer and software are playing nicely together.
My inspiration wall is full of Victorian and Civil War studio portraits, in focus.
I've learned most from my Photoshop guru. Everyone should have one.
Good work should always be hard to look away from. It will have concept and quality.
The Phoenix creative scene could use more people who put art in their homes.
The 2016 Creatives so far:
100. Nicole Olson
99. Andrew Pielage
98. Jessica Rowe
97. Danny Neumann
96. Beth Cato
95. Jessie Balli
94. Ron May
93. Leonor Aispuro
92. Sarah Waite
91. Christina "Xappa" Franco
90. Christian Adame
89. Tara Sharpe
88. Patricia Sannit
87. Brian Klein
86. Dennita Sewell
85. Garth Johnson
84. Charissa Lucille
83. Ryan Downey
82. Samantha Thompson
81. Cherie Buck-Hutchison
80. Freddie Paull
79. Jennifer Campbell
78. Dwayne Hartford
77. Shaliyah Ben
76. Kym Ventola
75. Matthew Watkins
74. Tom Budzak
73. Rachel Egboro
72. Rosemary Close
71. Ally Haynes-Hamblen
70. Alex Ozers
69. Fawn DeViney
68. Laura Dragon
67. Stephanie Neiheisel
66. Michael Lanier
65. Jessica Rajko
64. Velma Kee Craig
63. Oliver Hibert
62. Joya Scott
61. Raji Ganesan
60. Ashlee Molina
59. Myrlin Hepworth
58. Amy Ettinger
57. Sheila Grinell
56. Forrest Solis
55. Mary Meyer
54. Robert Hoekman Jr.
53. Joan Waters
52. Gabriela Muñoz
51. ColorOrgy
50. Liz Magura
49. Anita and Sam Means
48. Liz Ann Hewett
47. Tiffany Fairall
46. Vanessa Davidson
45. Michelle Dock
44. Nia Witherspoon
43. Monique Sandoval
42. Nayon Iovino
41. Daniel Davisson
40. Andrew King
39. Michelle Moyer
38. Jimmy Nguyen
37. Tiffany Lopez
36. Kristin Bauer
35. Donna Isaac
34. Douglas Miles
33. Sierra Joy
32. Francisco Flores
31. Amy Robinson
30. Julio Cesar Morales
29. Duane Daniels
28. Kelsey Pinckney
27. Ben Smith
26. Rembrandt Quiballo | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/mesa-artist-corinne-geertsen-on-why-mistakes-are-the-best-teachers-8590387 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/bc134e47a98fc2df506e63745303bf63eb2d5dd6d992f9fd3db3727a3fec4d6b.json |
[
"Lauren Cusimano"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:48 | null | 2016-08-25T08:00:00 | Formerly known as the Lingerie Football League, the Legends Football League Cup Championship at Scottsdale's WestWorld on Saturday, August 27. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Flegends-cup-2016-womens-football-league-finals-hit-scottsdale-on-august-27-8576673.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8576675/road-to-legends-cup-lfl.jpg | en | null | Former Lingerie Football League Comes to WestWorld of Scottsdale August 27 | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND The Chicago Bliss take on the Seattle Mist again at the 2016 Legends Cup on August 27 at WestWorld. Courtesy of Legends Football League
Have you ever watched a woman (most likely) on TV doing something very active, and you’re wondering how her makeup is still so perfect? Well, get ready for that times about a thousand with the Legends Football League Cup Championship at Scottsdale's WestWorld on Saturday, August 27.
Haven't heard of the LFL yet? Well, you might know it by another name. It used to be MTV Network’s Lingerie Football League. The former name aside, this is a real, full-contact sport – and kinda scary looking, too. It comes with taglines like,"Women of the Gridiron," and "This is not your father’s football league."
The league's semi-finals were held last weekend, resulting in this weekend’s battling champs. The 2016 Legends Cup will feature the Seattle Mist – Western Conference Champions after defeating the Dallas Desire – and Eastern Conference Champions the Chicago Bliss (making it to the cup after their sixth consecutive win over the Atlanta Steam).
The Seattle-versus-Chicago showdown also happens to be a rematch of last year’s championship, from which Seattle took home the title.
The fun starts on Saturday with tailgating at noon and doors at 2 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. kickoff. Tickets to Legends Cup 2016 range from $15 to $65 for general admission and Field VIP passes. Reserved seating costs $40. And all packages are available through the LFL website.
The LFL may have scouted the Valley in the past, as an expansion team will be heading to Arizona in 2017 called the Arizona Scorch. For additional information, visit the LFL Facebook page or YouTube channel. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/legends-cup-2016-womens-football-league-finals-hit-scottsdale-on-august-27-8576673 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/84e840a2a7a59fe7882edecf5d2ad97f251321f410d0e85f7c0ca94864211bd4.json |
[
"Tom Reardon"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:51 | null | 2016-08-25T04:53:00 | Unlike so many other things, psych-rock sounds at times like it could be dying. A Storm of Lights says otherwise. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fa-storm-of-light-s-josh-graham-has-taken-a-long-journey-on-his-way-to-psych-rock-8585412.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8585414/a_storm_of_light_by_josh_graham_2.jpg | en | null | A Storm Of LIghts Proves That Psych-Rokc Is Still Alive | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND A Storm of Light Josh Graham
Phoenix native Josh Graham knows a thing or two about sights and sounds.
The 42-year-old musician and visual artist brings his current band, A Storm of Light, to Yucca Tap Room on Friday, August 26. Graham and his bandmates, Domenic Sita on bass and Billy Graves on drums, are doing a mini West Coast tour centered around their appearance at a Las Vegas psych fest. For Graham, he couldn’t be happier to play a show in his hometown.
“I grew up [in Phoenix]. I went to Thunderbird and Moon Valley high schools. Hopefully, it won’t be another six years before we play in Phoenix again,” Graham shares.
In the early ’90s, Graham played in a local Phoenix band called Grind, which received a little notoriety in the growing industrial scene. Grind opened for Pigface and Skrew, for example, during their years of activity, and played a handful of well-received local shows. Eventually, Graham parted ways with Grind, and a few of his former bandmates would later go on to form local standout industrial band N17.
Related Stories The Nine Best Concerts in Phoenix This Weekend
Music has always been a primary focus for Graham, but frustration with not being able to find the right project led him to look elsewhere for satisfaction, both artistically and geographically.
“I was having a hard time trying to put anything [musically] together. When I left [Phoenix], I was focusing on work, and there was probably about four years where I really didn’t play anything,” Graham says.
Graham began his exodus from the desert in 1998, and wound up in Los Angeles in 2000, where he stayed for about six years. It was during this time, both in Los Angeles at first, and New York (where he now lives) a bit later, that Graham created a niche for himself in the world of heavy rock ’n’ roll, both as a musician and as a visual artist.
From 2000 to 2012, Graham was in charge of the visual aspect of Bay Area heavy (and dark) punk/metal crossover band Neurosis. If you saw Neurosis during this time period, or even before Graham joined the band’s touring schedule, you probably remember the intense visual experience that accompanied the band on a regular basis. During the same time period, Graham also played in the Los Angeles-based band Red Sparowes, which received a fair amount of acclaim.
Graham also remains busy doing visual art, primarily in the form of creating album covers and concert visuals. One of his major clients is Soundgarden, for whom Graham has done both album covers and concert visuals.
“I do a lot of design work for those guys [Soundgarden]. Kim [Thayil, Soundgarden’s guitar player] came and saw A Storm of Light when we played with Shrinebuilder in Seattle [in 2010]. They are very open to what I do, and I have a lot of creative freedom. They [Soundgarden] are really receptive,” Graham says.
For Graham, though, playing with A Storm of Light is something that has been long overdue. The band, which hasn’t had a new release since 2013, is planning on going into the studio at some point later in 2016 or early 2017 to record their next effort.
“We just started working with some new managers. We’ve been focusing on other projects and now we’re trying to figure out where we [A Storm of Light] want to go from here. We’re talking about putting out an EP or a full-length next spring,” says Graham, which is good news for the band’s very patient fans.
A Storm of Light is scheduled to play Yucca Tap Room in Tempe on Friday, August 26. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/a-storm-of-light-s-josh-graham-has-taken-a-long-journey-on-his-way-to-psych-rock-8585412 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/160bf6eada660f22b5fd0ca57a2e38ab852bdd1577ae711b19a828822dd8474d.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:46 | null | 2016-08-26T04:03:00 | It's a sad day as one of the Valley's strongest advocates for local music heads south. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fbeef-vegan-leaving-kwss-for-tuscon-radio-station-kfma-8575963.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8588758/beef-vegan-kongos-brannon-kleinlein.jpg | en | null | Beef Vegan Leaves KWSS for Tuscon Radio Station KFMA | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Beef Vegan and Kongos Brannon Kleinlein
A longtime voice of and advocate for the local music scene, KWSS morning show host Brad Pfirrman, a.k.a. Beef Vegan, is leaving local airwaves.
Friday morning, August 25, will be his final show.
"It's bittersweet," Pfirrman says. "But I'm excited to start this new chapter in my life."
For almost eight years now, Pfirrman has hosted TMI, the weekday morning show on local independent radio station KWSS. As the show developed through the years, Pfirrman began shining a spotlight on local music, pushing the station hard to include local bands as part of the regular rotation. Now, KWSS is one of the only places in the Valley where the local bands can get their music onto the airwaves.
Bands noticed, too. KONGOS, the Valley-raised platinum-selling rock band gave props to Vegan during a Reddit IAMA interview, saying that Pfirrman was instrumental in getting their sound out to the masses.
"Huge shoutout to KWSS/Beef. He was literally the first person to play 'I'm Only Joking' and 'Come With Me Now' on the radio and was the start of a lot of things for us," wrote Johnny Kongos. "I also think he's been a huge part of the growing music scene in Phoenix."
Pfirrman defers credit but acknowledges that the success of KONGOS was gratifying for him.
"They give me more credit than I deserve, but they were the first band to actually make an impact with our station," he says. "We were able to take a local band that had four people coming to their shows to selling out Crescent Ballroom."
He started focusing on local music during the Sound Strike in 2010. The "Sound Strike" was an organized boycott of Arizona by national touring bands in opposition to SB 1070, a move Pfirrman thought was unfair to the music fans in the state. Local bands became noble scabs of the Sound Strike, with Pfirrman eager to prove that Arizona had enough talent that the state didn't need touring bands to play concerts in town.
"I thought that was unfair to the people of Arizona," he says. "We didn't have a choice in the matter."
Pfirrman is leaving to take a new job as co-host and producer of a radio show on KFMA in Tucson.. His First show down there will be September 6. At KWSS, Pfirrman was an unpaid volunteer. At KFMA, he will have officially broken into the radio industry, a longtime goal of his.
And hey, at least he didn't have to move to Nebraska.
"Tuscon is a fantastic music town," he says. "In radio you have to move anyway, so me only moving two hours away and still being able to come back to Phoenix every weekend is important for me and my daughter but also important to bridge the gap between the Phoenix scene and the Tucson scene."
KWSS program director Frank Magarelli says the station in the meantime will play only music with no host during the time slot vacataed by Pfirrman.
"We wish him well. We know it's a good transition," Magraelli says. We're very happy for him. He got all of his radio experience here. … We're glad to see him take that next step."
As for Pfirrman, he plans one final party for his final broadcast, which happens at Stinger's on 10040 N. 43rd Ave. in Glendale from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. today. It should be an emotion morning for him, he says, and it will feature local bands, comedians, and frequent guests of the show.
"We're gonna get really drunk and cry," Pfirrman says. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/beef-vegan-leaving-kwss-for-tuscon-radio-station-kfma-8575963 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/a66ef349ece16908ead2f0ae520cb5fb571d440b4f2e2eb58b93f6563cb4178e.json |
[
"Bilge Ebiri"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:11 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | The 9th Life of Louis Drax excels at grabbing you with a steady stream of provocative and ornate images. But to what end, I’m still not sure. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Ffilm%2Flife-in-the-mind-of-a-comatose-boy-is-gorgeous-but-what-does-it-reveal-8589973.json | http://images1.laweekly.com/imager/u/original/7307558/the-ninth-life-of-louis-drax-1-credit-doane_gregory_-_summit_premiere.jpg | en | null | Life in the Mind of a Comatose Boy Is Gorgeous, but What Does It Reveal? | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Courtesy of Lionsgate
Opening your film on the image of a child plummeting off a cliff, presumably to his death, is a fairly foolproof way of getting the audience’s attention. And Alexandre Aja’s hyper-stylized coming-of-age-movie-slash-fantasy-slash-psychological-thriller The 9th Life of Louis Drax excels at grabbing you with a steady stream of provocative and ornate images. But to what end, I’m still not sure.
The falling child is Louis (Aiden Longworth), “the amazing, accident-prone boy,” who tells us that he has, up to this point in his life, been bitten by spiders, accidentally electrocuted, stung by bees, had a chandelier fall on his crib, and once “screamed so hard I stopped breathing for nine-and-a-half minutes.” Snippets of these near-tragedies are cutely presented to us onscreen as if they were scenes from a fable; director Aja excels at inventive framing and playful cutting. That vaguely lighthearted tone somewhat mitigates the horror. (Ridiculous, inadvertent ways that a child can be harmed? Such scenarios flutter across the terrified imaginations of every parent at some point.)
Louis doesn’t actually die. Instead, he lands in the ocean and winds up in a coma, with his distraught mother Natalie (Sarah Gadon) standing watch over him in the hospital, convinced that she can still communicate with the boy mentally. Coming to her aid is handsome Dr. Pascal (Jamie Dornan), a man with some revolutionary ideas. “I have a theory about the state you’re in,” he tells Louis. “I think some people don’t want to wake up until they feel safe.” Mom contends that the child’s lout of a dad (Aaron Paul), an abusive boxer, actually pushed the boy off the cliff during a family picnic. Now they’re concerned that dad, who reportedly fled the scene, might come back to finish the job.
Based on Liz Jensen’s best-selling novel, which I have not read, the film unfolds like a time-hopping psychotherapy session crossed with a fairy tale. We delve into troubled Louis’ past and flash back to his interactions with child psychiatrist Dr. Perez (Oliver Platt), to whom he strangely opens up, despite regarding him with suspicion. The boy’s mind is a place of contempt and self-loathing, all mixed with a child’s simplistic notions of right and wrong. Men are not to be trusted, Louis says, because they always hurt his mother, and we get brief, alarming glimpses of Mom and Dad’s messed-up relationship.
In the present, Dr. Pascal and mom get closer and closer — much to the concern of Mrs. Pascal (Jane McGregor). And in coma-induced dream visions, Louis speaks to a mysterious underwater figure who interrogates him with a voice not unlike Christian Bale’s Batman voice in The Dark Knight and slowly reveals himself to be a more sympathetic presence — a barnacle-covered shrink from the beyond, perhaps.
EXPAND Courtesy of Lionsgate
“Where the hell is this movie going?” you might ask, and that’s not an entirely bad thing. For much of its running time, Louis Drax manages to walk an impressive tightrope — feeding us just enough information to make us suspect that not everything is as it seems while using stylistic flourishes to mitigate the overall bleakness of its story. Every shot feels precisely composed and luminous. Patrick Watson’s score is lush and full-bodied, leaning into the melodrama. All that bravura filmmaking — the elaborate camera moves and colorful images and unexpected angles — is fascinating from both technical and aesthetic standpoints, and it certainly held my attention. But don’t be surprised if you start to suspect that, for all the film’s ornamentation, it might not be leading up to something revelatory.
As befits a film seen partly through the eyes of a coma patient, there’s an oddly somnambulistic quality to key performances. Some actors handle this better than others. As Louis’ mother Natalie, Sarah Gadon is a vision of hypnotic reserve — few young actresses working today can so rivet you while seeming to do so little. Jamie Dornan doesn’t fare quite as well. He appears to be sleepwalking through the part, which is oddly fitting, since at one point in the film he literally sleepwalks.
But the star here is the style. Most of director Aja’s previous features have been horror films, but he surprised me with his fascinating, if uneven, 2014 fable Horns, in which a distraught outcast (Daniel Radcliffe) became a demonic figure who could listen in on people’s deepest secrets. That film, too, perched between the playful and the horrific — at least until it came crashing down at the end. (One of Radcliffe’s co-stars, Max Minghella, is credited with the script for Louis Drax.)
Something similar happens here. Louis Drax feints at complexity, but as the story approaches its end — with its many twists and allegedly dramatic reveals — something more simplistic emerges, rooted not so much in the mysteries of the human heart and soul, but in narrative convenience and sleight of hand. What begins as an interrogation of a troubled child’s psyche, and the piecing together of a fragmented life story, winds up as something far more mundane: a faux-noir thriller with an empty, gotcha ending. It’s a lot of sound and fury … signifying something, but not quite enough. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/life-in-the-mind-of-a-comatose-boy-is-gorgeous-but-what-does-it-reveal-8589973 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/8c516f2bc5d07ccdbed2848c2bda7c0ffc94be30acbe0c4a16cbbf2b69a1547b.json |
[
"David Accomazzo"
] | 2016-08-26T16:48:32 | null | 2016-08-26T04:03:00 | It's a sad day as one of the Valley's strongest advocates for local music heads south. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fmusic%2Fbeef-vegan-leaving-kwss-for-tucson-radio-station-kfma-8575963.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8588758/beef-vegan-kongos-brannon-kleinlein.jpg | en | null | Beef Vegan Leaves KWSS for Tucson Radio Station KFMA | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Beef Vegan and Kongos Brannon Kleinlein
A longtime voice of and advocate for the local music scene, KWSS morning show host Brad Pfirrman, aka Beef Vegan, is leaving local airwaves.
Friday morning, August 26, will be his final show.
"It's bittersweet," Pfirrman says. "But I'm excited to start this new chapter in my life."
For almost eight years now, Pfirrman has hosted TMI, the weekday morning show on local independent radio station KWSS. As the show developed through the years, Pfirrman began shining a spotlight on local music, pushing the station hard to include local bands as part of the regular rotation. Now, KWSS is one of the only places in the Valley where the local bands can get their music onto the airwaves.
Bands noticed, too. KONGOS, the Valley-raised, platinum-selling rock band gave props to Vegan during a Reddit IAMA interview, saying that Pfirrman was instrumental in getting their sound out to the masses.
"Huge shoutout to KWSS/Beef. He was literally the first person to play 'I'm Only Joking' and 'Come With Me Now' on the radio and was the start of a lot of things for us," wrote Johnny Kongos. "I also think he's been a huge part of the growing music scene in Phoenix."
Pfirrman defers credit but acknowledges that the success of KONGOS was gratifying for him.
"They give me more credit than I deserve, but they were the first band to actually make an impact with our station," he says. "We were able to take a local band that had four people coming to their shows to selling out Crescent Ballroom."
He started focusing on local music during the "Sound Strike" in 2010. The Sound Strike was an organized boycott of Arizona by national touring bands in opposition to SB 1070, a move Pfirrman thought was unfair to the music fans in the state. Local bands became noble scabs of the Sound Strike, with Pfirrman eager to prove that Arizona had enough talent that the state didn't need touring bands to play concerts in town.
"I thought that was unfair to the people of Arizona," he says. "We didn't have a choice in the matter."
Pfirrman is leaving to take a new job as co-host and producer of a radio show on KFMA in Tucson. His first show down there will be September 6. At KWSS, Pfirrman was an unpaid volunteer. At KFMA, he will have officially broken into the radio industry, a longtime goal of his.
And hey, at least he didn't have to move to Nebraska.
"Tucson is a fantastic music town," he says. "In radio, you have to move anyway, so me only moving two hours away and still being able to come back to Phoenix every weekend is important for me and my daughter but also important to bridge the gap between the Phoenix scene and the Tucson scene."
KWSS program director Frank Magarelli says the station in the meantime will play only music with no host during the time slot vacated by Pfirrman.
"We wish him well. We know it's a good transition," Magraelli says. We're very happy for him. He got all of his radio experience here. … We're glad to see him take that next step."
As for Pfirrman, he plans one final party for his final broadcast, which happens at Stinger's on 10040 North 43rd Avenue in Glendale from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. today. It should be an emotional morning for him, he says, and it will feature local bands, comedians, and frequent guests of the show.
"We're gonna get really drunk and cry," Pfirrman says. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/beef-vegan-leaving-kwss-for-tucson-radio-station-kfma-8575963 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/dd954f005cd0bdbd7cef4a5c8f6e270fe10aaf7ab0ee2f945d9af9632c25d950.json |
[
"Lauren Cusimano"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:05 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:00 | Phoenix Art Museum and the Hermosa Inn launch a Fashion Conversation series on September 13 featuring Pat Cleveland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Farts%2Fphoenix-art-museum-and-the-hermosa-inn-to-host-conversations-in-fashion-8510739.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8510745/hilton-brothers.jpg | en | null | Phoenix Art Museum and Hermosa Inn to Launch Fashion Talks September 13 | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | EXPAND Famed supermodel Pat Cleveland will discuss and sign her new memoir Walking with the Muses at The Hermosa Inn on September 13. Courtesy of the Hermosa Inn
Phoenix Art Museum and the Hermosa Inn have teamed up for a fresh edition of the Conversations in Fashion series, a somewhat monthly event featuring some of the top authors, designers, and photographers from the fashion world that runs from September 13 to February 7.
The series started with the designers behind Badgley Mischka and continues with supermodel and author Pat Cleveland, designer and author Stephanie Lake, photographers Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg, and author Rose Apodaca. Each event will feature a cocktail hour, book signings from the highlighted authors, and intimate question-and-answer sessions.
Each event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets start at $40, which includes hors d’oeuvres and wine. To reserve a spot for one or all of the events, call LON’s at the Hermosa at 602-955-7878, or visit The Hermosa Inn’s website.
In addition to bringing big-time fashion professionals to the Valley, the series also celebrates Hermosa’s 80th anniversary by highlighting the Paradise Valley boutique hotel’s artist-in-residence program. Here's a look at the events to come.
Pat Cleveland
The series returns with iconic supermodel Pat Cleveland on Tuesday, September 13. Rising to fame in the 1960s and '70s, Cleveland is known as one of the first prominent African-American models in fashion. She released Walking with the Muses: A Memoir this past summer. The memoir recounts the glitz and grit of her career. She'll share stories from the book during the event, which will be followed by a book-signing.
Stephanie Lake
Designer and author Stephanie Lake joins the series on Thursday, October 13, to present her 2016 release, Bonnie Cashin: Chic is Where You Find It – a look at the worldview and modernist designs that are so classically Cashin. A book-signing will follow. Lake herself has a Ph.D. in decorative arts, design history, and material culture, and is also a curator known for designing jewelry.
The Hilton Brothers talk travel, design, and their iconic photography on January 10, 2017. Courtesy of the Hermosa Inn
The Hilton Brothers
Known individually as Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg, The Hilton Brothers – no relation – present their installment of the Conversations in Fashion series on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Recognizable by their frequent use of diptychs and triptychs (double and triple images featured in one work), the duo will recount their tales of travel and share their unique outlook on the intersection of photography and fashion design.
Rose Apodaca
Curator, editor, and author of 2011's Fred Hayman The Extraordinary Difference: The Story of Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Glamour and the Showman Who Sold It All, Rose Apodaca concludes the Hermosa Inn fashion series on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. Apodaca will detail the revolutionary efforts of Hayman, the founder of Giorgio Beverly Hills and an early champion of LA style, and how he transformed Rodeo Drive into the fashion destination it is today. A book-signing will follow. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/phoenix-art-museum-and-the-hermosa-inn-to-host-conversations-in-fashion-8510739 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/4f2f3e8ac4e81de877be4a7c5d26496fb86e98153550c40f776744be94b46399.json |
[
"Teresa Traverse"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:59 | null | 2016-08-29T09:00:00 | Check out the Best Things to Eat and Drink in Metro Phoenix This Week from Monday, August 29 to Thursday, September 1. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fnew-cocktail-menu-at-the-ostrich-four-peaks-pumpkin-porter-returns-and-more-this-week-in-metro-phoenix-8583144.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8587201/the_henry_cocktail.jpg | en | null | 5 Best Things to Eat and Drink This Week in Metro Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | The Henry
Classic Movies and Classic Cocktails at The Henry
Today
The Classic Movies and Classic Cocktails series at The Henry in Phoenix returns today with a showing of the iconic 1942 film Casablanca. Guests are invited to curl up with their very own blankets in The Henry's private dining rooms as they watch the classic film, nosh on small bites, and enjoy the evening's featured cocktail, the French 75. The evening starts at 7 p.m., and tickets cost $45 per person. RSVP at 602-429-8020 or in person at The Henry to reserve your spot. For more information, visit The Henry's website or the event's Facebook page.
EXPAND The Ostrich
Fall Cocktail Menu at The Ostrich
Tuesday, August 30
Fall is coming, and The Ostrich is rolling out a brand-new cocktail menu on Tuesday to celebrate the season. Expect fall-inspired ingredients like locally made figgy pudding bitters, yellow chartreuse, desert blossom honey syrup, and dehydrated mulling spices. Guests can enjoy drinks like The Baker, a whisky sour featuring Bulleit rye, Montenegro amaro, Cocktail and Son's King Cake Syrup, AZBL Figgy Pudding bitters, lemon juice, and egg white. For more information, visit The Ostrich's website.
Free Wine Tasting at vomFASS
Thursday, September 1
Wine and barbecue aren't a typical pairing, but Scottsdale's vomFASS is out to change that. On Thursday, the sommelier of the retailer of specialty oils, vinegars, spirits, and spices will educate guests about what wines pair well with barbecue meats and other Labor Day picnic dishes. Hors d'oeuvres will be served, too. The tasting starts at 5:30 p.m., and is complimentary. For more information, visit the vomFASS website.
EXPAND Four Peaks
2016 Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter Debut
Thursday, September 1
Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter fans, take note: The popular craft beer returns to the taps at Four Peaks breweries in Tempe and Scottsdale starting Thursday, and lands on store shelves across the state on September 7. And if you're excited about the fan-favorite brew, then you might want to act fast. This brew disappears Wednesday, November 23. For more information, visit the Four Peaks Brewery website.
New Cold Brew Coffees at The Refuge
All week
Cold brew coffees are all the rage at the moment, and Phoenix's The Refuge is getting in on the trend. The shop is now offering two cold brews: a house-made cold brew featuring its dark roast, and a nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee on tap featuring Yirgacheffe Ethiopian beans. For more information, visit The Refuge's website. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/new-cocktail-menu-at-the-ostrich-four-peaks-pumpkin-porter-returns-and-more-this-week-in-metro-phoenix-8583144 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/06337a5b537b9da03dfb53ffefe7adcd3f498fc5351f7185a1b3a6602096b437.json |
[
"Teresa Traverse"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:47 | null | 2016-08-25T07:00:00 | Check out the best things to eat and drink this weekend in Metro Phoenix from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Frestaurants%2Fbar-brawl-finale-chelseas-kitchen-hatch-chile-roast-and-more-this-weekend-in-metro-phoenix-8578759.json | http://images1.phoenixnewtimes.com/imager/u/original/8578766/kream_coffee_.jpg | en | null | 5 Best Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend in Metro Phoenix | null | null | www.phoenixnewtimes.com | Kream Coffee Grand Opening
Friday, August 26
Specialty coffee company Kream Coffee, (one of our Tastemaker's favorite roasters) is throwing a grand opening celebration this Friday at its location inside the Phoenix For the People design store. The first 50 guests who arrive at the store will get a complimentary drink coupon, and all guests will receive 50 percent off drinks. Local sandwich company Le Dinersaur will supply free food, and guests also can watch a latte art throw-down competition, listen to live music, and win prizes. The grand opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit Kream's website or the Facebook event page.
Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa Grand Opening
Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28
As of this weekend, Ruze Cake House and Teaspressa fans have a brick-and-mortar shop in Old Town Scottsdale to visit for Ruze's sweets and Teaspressa's drinks. The store is celebrating with a grand opening this weekend, and attendees can enjoy free treats and giveaways throughout the weekend. The grand opening is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the new bakeshop and tea house is located at 7033 East Main Street in Scottsdale. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
EXPAND LGO Hospitality
Hatch Chile Roast at Chelsea's Kitchen
Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28
This weekend, Phoenix's Chelsea's Kitchen will be roasting fresh chiles from Young Guns Produce Co. in Hatch, New Mexico. Guests can watch as a chef roasts the chiles, take home bags of chiles, and enjoy Hatch green chile stew with pork and a Hatch green chile quesadilla — in addition to sangria and the restaurant's Diego Rivera cocktail. The chiles cost $10 per five-pound bag and can be taken home roasted or raw. The roasting goes from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit the Chelsea's Kitchen website.
EXPAND Courtesy of The Camby
National Bowtie Day Brunch at Artizen
Sunday, August 28
The Camby's Artizen restaurant is launching weekend brunch this Sunday, which also happens to be National Bowtie Day. To celebrate the launch and event, guests can dig into dishes like blackberry bacon waffles and a BLT Benedict. Diners who wear a bowtie will receive a complimentary cocktail, and during brunch, New York- and Scottsdale-based artist Aleksandr Berki will unveil five custom Arizona-inspired bow ties. The fashion show kicks off at noon, so it's recommended you make your reservations before then if you want to watch all the action. Brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit Aritzen's website.
Sanctuary at Camelback
Final Bar Brawl at Jade Bar
Sunday, August 28
The Bar Brawl series at Jade Bar at Sanctuary at Camelback in Paradise Valley concludes this Sunday. Watch as Counter Intuitive's Keifer Gilbert competes against Libby Longlott of The Camby for title of "Bar Master." Spectators can enjoy DJ entertainment and a menu of “Bar Brawl Bites” at happy-hour prices during the competition. The Bar Brawl is from 8 to 11 p.m. For more information, visit Jade Bar's website or the Facebook event page. | http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/bar-brawl-finale-chelseas-kitchen-hatch-chile-roast-and-more-this-weekend-in-metro-phoenix-8578759 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ae042b642d3b3f731e7447fa5965770876b79fc1ae195c08f0a2ec8787917f3e.json |
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