Et Cetera

The kindness of strangers and crossing the Great Divide for Beads of Courage

We launched Tucsonan Stacie Eichenger and her long walk for charity in our May issue and we're checking in with her every month for a walk 4 courage update. Stacie is committed to trekking 3800 miles across America to raise money for Beads of Courage, an organization providing 'arts-in-medicine' supportive care for seriously ill kids.

Last month we caught up with her in Leavenworth, Washington, as the official guest of the Chelon County Fire District 3. Since then she's traveled across the Continental Divide at an altitude of 6000 feet. It's not all cocktails and smiles on the road. If it weren't for the goodness of strangers, there would be many a night of Stacie camping under overpasses, crossing paths with the occasional moose. Turns out there is an entire network of like-minded people crossing the continental US that help each other find lodging with friends.

Next stop: Billings, Montana. Before she gets to Billings - mile marker 1000 on her journey - she's hoping to have raised $10,000 ($10 for every mile). To date she's raised $7300. Make your tax deductible donation at Crowdrise benefiting Beads of Courage. Follow Stacie on Facebook and on her blog. Donate to Stacie directly for food, an occasional hot shower along the way, and other expenses she'll incur on her eight-month journey.

* Beads of Courage was founded in Tucson by Jean Baruch, who gained a PhD in Nursing at the University of Arizona. She came up with the idea for using beads as symbols of strength and support for seriously sick children, and grew the program from there. Find out more here.

Five minutes of fame

Gather July 12th at the Steinfeld Warehouse for Ignite Tucson!, a set of 15 five-minute talks by a varied and interesting bunch of locals. There's Jeannette Valencia on a project that combines DJ music and fingerpainting; stand-up comedian Bridgette Blantom Thum on her life as a serious person; Christine Scheer on whether robots will take over the world, and much more.

When: Friday July 12th,  6.30 pm onwards. Free belly dancing display at 6.30 pm; talks begin at 7pm. Food Truck Roundup will be there 5pm to 9pm.

Where: Steinfeld Warehouse, 101 W. Sixth Street, Tucson.

Cost: Free

More info: David Aguirre, 520 869 3166, or [email protected]

Out of the box at MOCA

Coke Wisdom O'Neal is a photographer who likes to take a non-traditional approach to portraiture. His 'Box' is an interactive, theatrical sculpture that will get you talking, thinking and enjoying. Join the opening party of Coke Wisdom O'Neal's Box exhibit at MOCA Tucson, including an ice cream food truck, cash bar and music by DJ Matt McCoy. And it's free!

When: Saturday 13th July.

Where: 265 S. Church Ave, 7-9pm.

Cost: Free

More info: www.moca-tucson.org

 Celebrate Independents Week

Tucson businesses are stretching out their Independence Day celebrations beyond July 4th, with Independents Week. As in incentive to get people to shop local between June 30 and July 7, Local First Arizona is offering a 20% off  'Golden Coupon' to customers. Mexican folk art shop Arte de la Vida is just one of more than 50 Tucson participants. More here.

4th July at Mercado comes with food trucks... and a pig

Tucson's finest food trucks and a pig will make an appearance at the second annual July 4th Pig Roast and Festival, presented by Mercado San Agustin and the Tucson Food Truck Coalition. Catch the A-Mountain fireworks from the roof deck, or the courtyard. (And note  that the Agustin Brasserie will be closed for its summer hiatus until August 1st.)

When: 5pm, Thursday, July 4th

What: Food, fireworks and fun, including a pig-roast, live music, cold drinks and Tucson Food Trucks.

Where: 100 S. Avenida del Convento and Congress Street, on the west side of Interstate 10.

More info:  www.mercadosanagustin.com

Housing with smarts

Ever driven by Glenn and Mountain and wondered what the deal with the modern lofts is? Now's your chance to find out. Infill developers Deborah Chah and Krista Miller, who make up Smart Lofts LLC, will be hosting an open house in July to show off a unit or two (in between tenants). The units are rented through 2014, but don't fret; the eco-sensitive builders are poised to break ground on a new project in the Fall. Click here or on Facebook for more information.

 

Etherton comes home

After exhibiting at four fine art fairs since January, the Etherton Gallery is doing a bit of nesting this summer. Check out its photography and mixed media show between now and August 31st.

When: Now until August 31st.

Where: Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Avenue

More info: 520 624 7370 or click here.

Arizona black officers' club gets a temporary reprieve

A building that serves as a reminder of white-black segregation in America has joined The National Trust's 2013 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

After a three-year-long effort, the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation succeeded in getting the Mountain View Black Officers' Club in Fort Huachuca on a list that, it is hoped, may save it from being torn down.

Having Mountain View on a national list like this shines a spotlight on the building, and hopefully buys it some time, said Jennifer Levstik, an archaelogical preservationist for the City of Tucson and a board member of THPF. "These campaigns by the National Trust have been pretty successful. They have a high rate of projects being saved," she said.

The 1942 building, built for African-American servicemen and women and host to performers like Lena Horne and Dinah Shore, is on the U.S. Army's active disposal list, said Levstik. THPF and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are hoping Mountain View will instead by preserved and re-used. However, only the U.S. Army is authorized to apply for a historic  building nomination for it. So far, says Levstik, the Army has not acted and now argues that the building is in too much disrepair. "For the past four or five years [the Army] neglected it. It's demolition by neglect," said Levstik.

Speaking at a press conference last month, retired General Julius Parker (pictured), a former member of the all-black Buffalo Soldiers, said: "For me this is an integral part of the U.S. Army and the history of the USA because it's the only structure in our existence that has been built expressly for black officers. The preservation of this structure will acknowledge and serve as a reminder that even during the darkest days of racial evolution in this country, blacks have remained loyal to the USA."

In a statement, Fort Huachuca said: "Fort Huachuca is committed to preserving the legacy of the African-American service men and women who served at Fort Huachuca during World War II. We continue to explore all options for Building 66050 that balance our commitment to historic preservation with the very real budget contraints we currently face. The Mountain View Officers Club is not listed on an Army disposal list as reported by some news outlets or the National Trust."

You can make your voice heard on this issue by contacting your local lawmaker or Government representative.