Downtown Tucsonan - November 2007 - (Page 6)

D ow n tow n Low d ow n by Lee Allen & Downtown Tucsonan Staff t h e a r t i n s t i t u t e o f t u c s o n ’s “ r u n w a y ‘ 0 7 ” f i l l e d t h e t c c ’s g r a n d b a l l r o o m . f o o l ’s h o l l o w o n o c t o b e r 2 0 , d r e w a p a c k e d crowd for a free flam chen finale. work on the fourth avenue underpass project i s p r o c e e d i n g w e l l , ” a c c o r d i n g t o t h e c i t y ’s department of transportation. PEDAL POWER Gems, touring Broadway shows, and Home Shows are guaranteed to bring big crowds downtown, as will the 25th running of El Tour de Tucson on November 17th an event preceded by a Bike/Fitness/Health Expo at Tucson Convention Center, November 14-16, and a Wellness Conference at TCC, noon-5pm, November 15-16. As many as 10,000-11,000 participants are expected for the silver anniversary celebration of festivities that have been named by the League of American Bicyclists (America’s largest bicycling advocacy organization) as this year’s National Bike Rally event. Participants in this year’s ride from a shorter 35-mile distance to the full 109-mile finish line that encircles the city will receive a commemorative 25th El Tour medallion. Theme for this year’s event is “cycling in pursuit of wellness”. WORD OF THE DAY: PATIENCE Traffic barricades and restricted lanes are part of the path of progress downtown and, judging from the barriers and restrictions currently evident, lots of progress should be in the works when it comes to a former downtown conduit, the 4th Avenue tunnel, shut down for construction. From the northern side of the railroad tracks comes word that “dirt is flying and it appears progress is being made.” Beyond that, John Sedwick, Fourth Avenue Merchants Association Executive Director, says he knows as much as anybody else does and takes the dirt and noise on a dayby-day basis. “Construction projects seem to have a life of their own and we’ve learned to live with the ‘when-itsdone-is-when-its-done’ philosophy. I think with the tunnel closed and pedestrian traffic flow taken out of the mix that downtown businesses are being impacted even more than our merchants are. We’re all just suffering through it and hoping the days go by quickly.” From the other side of the tracks, Brooks Keenan of the City’s Department of Transportation offers some reward for patience as a virtue: “Work on the Fourth Avenue Underpass project is proceeding well, the contractor has been making good progress, and the lengthy process of approvals by Union Pacific Railroad has been completed.” With steps forward, however, come steps backward. “A problem with underground utility relocations has caused the project schedule to slip a little bit,” says Keenan. “Although the connection from Broadway to South Toole Avenue has reopened, it now looks like we will not be able to get Toole and Congress Street opened by the end of the year. We should have that link reconnected by midJanuary, however, in time for the start of the Dillinger Days celebration. By that time, Congress Street should be reconstructed complete with traffic signals, streetlights, new brick sidewalks and trolley tracks.” BURN THE MORTGAGE “Historic restoration on the first synagogue in the state, the most important Jewish building in Arizona, is done and the mortgage has been burned,” says Eileen Warshaw, Director of The Jewish Heritage Center. The building at 564 S. Stone opened in October 1910 and through the years has housed a succession of various churches, a radio station, and a theatre before becoming part of Barrio Libre District in 1983. The Jewish Heritage Center collects, preserves, and teaches about, early Jewish education in the American Southwest and was named by USA TODAY as one of the top ten places in the United States to learn about this history. AND THE WINNER IS TUCSON 12, the City’s television channel, received six Rocky Mountain Emmy Award nominations for the 30th annual awards given out last month in Glendale. Of those half dozen, considered by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of “Excellence in Broadcasting”, three were honored with an Emmy, one of the highest individual achievement awards in the TV industry. Mitch Riley received Photographer kudos for “I Am Tucson”; Lety Bazurto-Mathews brought back the Single Story Sports News award for “Formula For Success”, and Riley and Gene Einfrank were recognized as co-winners for their Historical/Cultural Feature called “The Mission”. The station was also honored with eight first-place awards from the National Association of Telecommunications officers and Advisors. In 2006, the station’s Dan Sheffer and Mitch Riley were nominated for the promotional campaign, “It’s Happening Downtown”. “Tucson 12 continually develops and adapts programming to reflect the ever-changing community and having our efforts recognized is an honor for a staff committed to telling Tucson’s stories,” says Ann Strine, Chief Information Officer, City of Tucson. Tucson 12 has been on the air since 1984, providing 24hour programming about city government as well as live coverage of Mayor and Council and Board of Supervisors meetings. Check it out at www.tucson12.tv. A MOVEABLE MARCH Over 10,000 participants, many in costume, are expected to participate in the 2-mile- long human-powered All Souls Procession, November 4th. This is the 18th annual All Souls Weekend inspired by Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos holiday. The procession will “end with the finalizing action of burning, in a large urn, the hopes, offerings, pictures and wishes for those who have passed,” according to Many Mouths One Stomach, the community non-profit arts and culture organization that sponsors the event. Other events are connected with the procession including a month-long Day of the Dead fine art photographic exhibition in the Hotel Congress lobby, 311 E. Congress. www.allsoulsprocession.org for further information and schedules. BEFORE THE WALLS FALL “Call it The Rialto Art Project,” says Dinnerware’s David Agguire in reference to the newly-decorated west wall (5th Avenue side) of the Rialto Block, where light construction has started as part of planned renovation. “Owner Doug Biggers gave the go-ahead for a group of emerging artists to use boarded-up façade faces as giant canvases for their creativity. Southwest Paint made a supply donation and five artists took four days to expresses themselves for the appreciation of passersby over the next four months. And more projects will soon appear in that locale.” Biggers has a December 2008 completion date in mind for construction of a retail-restaurant-apartment combination on that site to hopefully coincide with the reopening of the 4th Avenue underpass. DING. DING. A draft Environmental Assessment plan for Tucson’s modern streetcar project has been submitted and is under review by the Federal Transit Administration before being released for public circulation. Transit Oriented Development plans and a market feasibility analysis for the University and Fourth Avenue areas are also nearing completion as part of the Tucson Department of Transportation “Transit on the Move” study. “The draft environmental assessment can be reviewed at the next meeting of the Community Liaison Group on November 1st,” says Shellie Ginn, Transportation Project Manager. Meeting time and place is available at informa tion@tucsontransitstudy.com. 6 downtown tucsonan.november.07 http://www.allsoulsprocession.org http://www.tucson12.tv

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Downtown Tucsonan - November 2007 Contents From the Editor Downtown Lowdown Vital Signs Downtown Live Arts Galleries Guide Yourself Through Open Studios Performance and Film Events Museums Historic Downtown Billboard Classifieds

Downtown Tucsonan - November 2007

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