Tucson Weekly: City Week (December 31

Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday

Thursday 1

RED-EYE EXPRESS. Coming off the big one can be a grisly little chore. Luckily, there are some warm-hearted folks out there willing to nurse you through this shaky new dawn.
City Week Among them is Peggy Barcley, a long-time veteran in the smoky trenches of life. More than will admit probably know her as Tucson's most remarkably cheerful bartender, always dishing up a greeting and a shot from her morning post in downtown's indomitable Buffet bar.
Peggy is to the Buffet what Jim Click is to horse puckey: You just can't picture one without the other. Meanwhile, the bar itself is a Bukowskian marvel, one of those picturesque joints where slap-happy geezers chat with dapper young Republicans, where steaming wieners are 50-cents a pop, beers little more than a buck, and peeing into a trough carries no shame.
And, like a woozy Swiss watch, the Buffet opens on time, every day, at 6 a.m. sharp. For most of those days, Peggy is there with a smile, welcoming in sunrise commuters for a quick eye-opener.
Now you may wonder whether, after eons of greeting the day through a cigarette haze--with Merle Haggard rattling the rafters and whiffs of whiskey mingled with coffee--does Peggy ever feel jaded?
Heck no, she says, adding that she's even on duty for you throughout this rugged New Year's Day, ready with a stiff Bloody Mary or a charming boilermaker. "C'mon in," she says with a rollicking chuckle. "We'll be here, honey. We're always here, 365 days a year."
The Buffet is at 538 E. Ninth St. Call 623-6811 for details.

Friday 2

NEW DAWN. Now 1998 is upon us, and that means the North American Indian Information and Trade Center is firing up another New Year's Competition Powwow.
This visual spectacle rivals that of any holiday parade, with incredibly costumed dancers hailing from outposts across the U.S. and Canada, all vying for the top spot in what can be fairly rugged competition. While this type of powwow originated with plains Indians, the events now draw skilled Native American dancers from many tribes.
And participants here dish up that extraordinary food that comes with a powwow, from red chile burros to enormous Indian tacos laden with beef, beans and cheese.
Event runs from 4 to 10 p.m. today, noon to 10 p.m. tomorrow, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday in Rillito Raceway Park, located at the southeast corner of First Avenue and River Road. Admission is $7. For details, call 622-4900.

Saturday 3

DEBTS OF ACADEMIA. If you're sweating over the mushrooming cost of higher education or facing daunting student loans, you're not alone. Each year, more and more Americans are finding a college education increasingly beyond reach.
Today, UA Professor Miklos Szilagyi takes on that meaty problem with a lecture titled The Affordability of Higher Education--Is the American Dream Out of Sight? This free discussion runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Tucson/Pima Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Call 742-7361 for details.
ORIGINAL SNOWBIRDS. Long before Winnebagos made their bulbous way west, another type of snowbird annually inhabited these parts. Each November, thousands of stately Sandhill Cranes and majestic birds of prey made their way to these parts, escaping the icy tundra and enjoying Arizona's welcoming winter sun.
To celebrate the return of these feathered travelers, the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory is once again offering all-day and half-day tours of the Sulphur Springs Valley near Willcox, which has become a hotbed of migrating birds.
On these "Hawk Stalk" and Sandhill Crane outings, you can expect to see American Kestrels, stunning Golden Eagles, and flocks of smaller birds.
Tour runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, departing from Bisbee. Cost is $50 per person, $40 for SABO members, and includes transportation from Bisbee. Hawk Stalk and Sandhill Crane tours continue through March. For reservations and other information, call (520) 432-1388.
DEEP DIGS. The Old Pueblo Archaeology Center will conduct a guided tour and dig session today in Sabino Canyon.
Long before Anglos arrived, the canyon was home to a vibrant Hohokam Village between 1000 and 1350 AD. To date, the center's excavations there have recovered thousands of pottery, stone, bone and seashell artifacts, and revealed prehistoric pit houses, ancient canals, and even a dog burial.
Now you can see history unearthed, or even participate in a dig, as professional archaeologists direct the tour and offer interpretations of ancient Hohokam life.
Regular tour is at 9 a.m. Cost is $10, $2 for kids ages 6 to 12. Dig tour begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $69 per person. For reservations and other information, call 798-1201.

Sunday 4

MUSICAL COUNTDOWN. Organist and harpsichordist Lori Keyne will perform at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church's annual Twelfth Night concert, followed by a party.
This traditional event marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas, and no one is more qualified to perform it than Keyne, who's played or studied with just about every luminary in the field, from Marilyn Mason at the University of Michigan to Maurice Skones at the UA.
Concert is 7:30 tonight in the Grace St. Paul's Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Admission is $6. For details, call 327-6857.
WATER WORLD. Admittedly, it doesn't look like much from the street. But there's far more to Casa del Agua than meets the eye. In fact, this little house is on the very cutting edge of wise water use. A demonstration and education project operated by the UA Arid Lands Studies Department, it provides information about indoor water conservation, xeriscape, rainwater harvesting and gray-water systems. And on top of that, Casa del Agua welcomes visitors on a weekly basis.
Free tours are offered on the hour from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, excluding holidays, in the Casa del Agua proper, 4366 N. Stanley Place. For information, call 887-1185.

Monday 5

OLD ART. Tucson Museum of Art docent Corinne Milton delves into the Latin past with a discussion titled Spanish Colonial Art of Mexico.
She'll trace some 300 years of Spanish presence in Mexico, as revealed through art, architecture and crafts. The enormous energy the Spaniards poured into the New World is still evident today, as they attempted to reshape their colonies in the image of the mother country. Various aspects of Spanish Colonial art explicate that drive vividly, detailing the influences of both Islamic and Catholic Spain. Milton explains how native craftsmen and artisans adapted those influences into their own, distinctively Mexican styles.
Today's free lecture runs from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the TMA Education Center auditorium, 140 N. Main Ave. Call 624-2333 for information.

Tuesday 6

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS. Loretta Bogdanowicz takes on the ebb and flow of human relationships in Peaceful Reflections, a new exhibit on display in De Grazia's Little Gallery.
Children and families are her frequent focus, and she combines the simplicity of line and form through painting, drawing and printmaking. The resulting narratives offer a singular glimpse into her subjects' inner worlds.
Peaceful Reflections continues through January 9 in De Grazia Gallery, 6300 N. Swan Road. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For details, call 299-9191.
PEAK EXPERIENCE. Stargaze with astronomers, or simply take a stroll through the world's largest observatory, when Kitt Peak opens its doors to visitors.
The observatory's Stargaze program begins a half-hour before sunset, weather permitting, and lasts three hours. Participants can catch a glimpse of the heavens through a 16-inch scope, with help from experienced docents, and then chow down on provided grub.
Cost is $35, $25 for seniors, students, and children under age 18, or $100 for a family of four. Reservations are required. Free daily tours are also offered at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Kitt Peak is located 56 miles west of Tucson. For reservations, directions and other information, call 318-8726.

Wednesday 7

OVER ICE. There's a certain irony to having a skating rink smack in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. But the well-chilled folks at Iceoplex don't let that get them down. In fact, they find a good frosty floor rather uplifting. And so, apparently, do their regular customers.
"Tucson was without a skating rink for a long time, so when we opened a couple of years ago, people really poured out for it," says skating director Paula Peterson. "Now it's kind of quieted down; but we still get a pretty steady group every day."
That crowd ranges from people who've never hit the ice to silky-smooth figure skaters, she says.
Regardless of your own level of grace, you can make your way around the hockey-sized rink to the sounds of country music, pop, and even Christmas carols during the season, she says. There are also video games, and plenty of family-type entertainment to warm your heart, if not your bones.
"And it's never really jam-packed," Peterson says. "Everybody can skate without worrying about that too much."
Iceoplex is open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 7:30 to 10:15 Friday and Saturday nights. Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for children ages 12 and under. For information, call 290-8800.

City Week includes events selected by Calendar Editor Tim Vanderpool. Event information is accurate as of press time. The Weekly recommends calling event organizers to check for last-minute changes in location, time, price, etc. To have material considered, please send complete information at least 11 days prior to the Thursday issue date to: Tucson Weekly, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, Arizona 85702, or fax information to 792-2096, or email us at listings@tucsonweekly.com.

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