International children’s film festival coming to the Loft

If you love free movies and you have kids, or are still a kid at heart, here’s a film festival for you, starting Saturday July 25.

Super cinematic summer excitement is back at The Loft with its the third annual TUCSON INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL,
presented by the Glassman Foundation, and hosted by the staff of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys, a very popular toy store at Crossroads Festival.

This exciting and “awe-inspiring silver screen extravaganza is a nine-day celebration of great children’s cinema, featuring classic kids films, foreign features, cartoons, sing-a-longs, fun interactive activities, free popcorn and prize giveaways!”

And best of all, every movie is FREE! Another freebie is that you can enter a daily raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys!

The event runs Saturday through Sunday for 9 days to August 2, and movies are at 10 a.m. every morning. The festival kicks-off with the “Wizard of Oz”, one of my all time favorites, and finishes with the incomparable sing-a-long “Mary Poppins.”

Be there on July 29 as The PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY will be handing out FREE copies of the book “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl, before the movie (while supplies last.) There will also be a short discussion on turning the book into a film after the movie. I’ve read the book and it’s an exciting movie as well.

There are also some international films from Japan, France, and Hungary (but mostly dubbed in English).

I’m one of the dedicated Loft volunteers who enjoys movies and such community film festivals. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a supervising adult, so please don’t just drop off the little ones. See http://www.loftcinema.com for more details and a schedule of each day’s film.

Sounds like it’s going to be a “supercalifragilistic” screening festival. Plus it’s also a great summer way to beat the heat.

Wingspan is moving

I am still surprised when I meet a gay or lesbian person in Southern Arizona,and he/she doesn’t know about Wingspan. This is a fantastic resource and advocacy center for the GLBT community, conveniently located  in  a two story building at 425 E. 7th Street, just east of 4th Avenue in Tucson.   As of Sunday the center will be closing temporarily till July 24 due to  consolidation with the EON Youth Lounge across the street, and will reopen on Monday July 27 at this new site.

A myriad of programs are being run by Wingspan, such as an anti-violence crisis hotline, a homeless teen program, another called Senior Pride for the elderly. Check out all this and more at their website, http://www.wingspan.org. There’s also a free lending library, community meeting rooms, even a cybercenter.

Recently Wingspan board President Cynthia Garcia sent out an email alert to the community about restructuring due to hard economic times, including the resignation of the Executive Director.  Jason Cianciotto will stay only through July 31, paid  at only $1, as Wingspan is returning to an all-volunteer agency.  Read the text of the July 17 alert here from their website:

http://www.wingspan.org/content/news_wingspan_details.php?story_id=670

As a straight ally, I have been to several events and receptions at Wingspan, along with my husband. Sign up for their weekly online newsletter which has lots of activities to participate in and support. The well attended Annual Dinner in September will also be reorganized into something different according to Board  President Garcia.

Please consider a donation (no matter how small) to help this worthy organization continue its programs.  Times are hard, and this group needs our support now.

Home-less

Most of us take living in a home for granted. Consider the 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles, as depicted in the recent movie “The Soloist”, about a talented former Julliard musician suffering from mental illness. Or think about the approximately 500 homeless teens living somewhere on the streets of Tucson.

I used to volunteer years ago at Travelers Aid, but the enormity of the problems faced by the homeless burned me out. I can only admire those who continue such tough work. The brother of a former friend of mine is homeless due to his drug addition to “ice. “ He used to be gainfully employed as an engineer, with a wife and two children, and a nice home. That’s all gone now.

Homeless deserve our respect as much as anyone else. It’s hard for them, especially since some in our society think they choose that lifestyle. For many, being on the streets is a way to escape domestic violence and sexual abuse. However they got there, this group of people are now home-less, without a house to live in, without basic shelter.

Agencies helping the homeless in Tucson: Primavera Foundation, 623-5111; Gospel Rescue Mission, 622-3495; Traveler’s Aid of Tucson, Inc. 622-8900.

For homeless teens, the group to call is Youth on Their Own (YOTO) at 293-1136 (www.yoto.org).  They are having a Charity Bowling Tournament on July 11, sponsored by the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association. Call now to participate and help.

Chinese cultural center

Little known, the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center sits on a large piece of property in northwest Tucson, on the north side of River Road, between Oracle and La Canada.

Even being ethnically Asian I did not really know about this gem in Tucson until just recently. Built about five years ago and without government funding, this now-volunteer run organization is serving the Chinese and greater community. And it is landscaped with desert trees and rock ground cover to enhance the desert atmosphere of Pima County.

Classes in Chinese language, dance, and tai chi are offered, as well as numerous activities such as ping pong, internet access, exercises classes, mah jong tile playing, etc. to members and guests.
There’s also a lending library in the conference room of mostly Chinese history books, but others on Asian Pacific American culture as well.

If you were to drop by on a Thursday morning (like today) you will find the Senior program members (age 55 and above, some even in their 90s), enjoying their time together in a congenial setting. This is the most multi-ethnic event I’ve witnessed in Tucson in a long time. It costs only $60 a year for the Senior program which includes some of these activities aforementioned, plus optional field trips for the members (all races welcome, not only Chinese Americans).

Many times at events in Tucson I am the only Asian person in the room, but certainly not at this facility.

Rental of the facilities (large multi-purpose room & smaller meeting rooms) is available. I’ve seen wedding receptions held there, meetings by the Dept. of Transportation, even Indian dance classes. The sense of community is very strong at this cultural center, as witnessed by the dedicated volunteers, members, and love & care given to the facility.

For more information on the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, please call 292-6900, go to their website at www.tucsonchinese.org, or drop by at 1288 W. River Road. And check out the large & colorful Chinese lion displayed in the foyer.

Let’s have more festivals

Last year I saw a “Renaissance”  movie about the Dalai Lama and the interviewer asked him what people can do to promote world peace and nonviolence. He reflected a moment and said “Have more festivals.”

I was shocked at the response and so was my friend viewing the movie as well. Of course we assumed he would say “practice nonviolent behavior, join a peace group and demonstrate, write to the world leaders”, etc. But no, he said he thought people needed to spend more joyful time together at festivals, parties, fiestas, etc.

Spreading this sense of community and togetherness on a local scale is somehow about world peace. Because if you are enjoying each other’s company at an event, then you likely won’t be fighting and causing trouble and pain. I guess that’s what his Holiness meant.

This is why I want to focus on community events in Tucson, on people and organizations that are bringing people together in cooperation and fun, not in conflict.

I spent years practicing law where all I saw was conflict: warring litigants, frustrated judges, angry enforcement people, separated families. I still see that now somewhat as a Hearing Officer in Small Claims Court (the people’s court).

But building and maintaining community is the focus of my blogsite, and what I hope to focus on for this new online version of the Tucson Citizen.

Welcome, refugees

Refugees from Burundi, Chad, Sudan, Somalia and other countries crowded the Pima County Board of Supervisors room on Tuesday, to witness the County’s “World Refugee Day” proclamation. Colorfully dressed men, women and children from mostly African countries, who sought safety in America and particularly Pima County were present. These new immigrants face a new language, a new culture, and a new life.

The proclamation read by Chairman Richard Elias, spoke of the necessity of these refugees to flee their countries, to escape persecution and terror, and with courage and perseverance to start a new existence here. The Chairman asked Pima County residents to “welcome and embrace” these individuals, and to offer them assistance and to celebrate their diversity.

Particularly moving were two videos done by refugee children.  A young girl from Iraq compared Tucson to Baghdad, and expressed her loneliness in this new country until she met another Iraqi girl at Doolen Middle School and became friends.  A young man from Zimbabwe talked about how his country back home had changed and how he was trying to assimilate to this new culture.

Their spokesman, after receiving the proclamation, spoke eloquently of their desire to “contribute now and in the future”, poignantly reminding all listening that they were not illegal residents. He expressed their desires to just want to live peacefully in their new home and become part of our community in Tucson.

All are invited to a free celebration of World Refugee Day at El Presidio Park on Saturday June 20, from 5 to 9. p.m. Please welcome our new residents.

Is Lani’s Luau “international cuisine”?

A restaurant listing of “international” in another newspaper last week mentioned Polish, Latino, and Ethiopian restaurants in Tucson. Along with those was listed my favorite Hawaiian place, Lani’s Luau on the northwest corner of Harrison and Golf Links. But as I thought about it, I questioned whether Lani’s should be listed as “international”, being as Hawaii has been the 50th state since August, 1959.

I was born and raised there in Hawaii, and grew up in a rural village with a colonial atmosphere (white people in charge of ethnic sugar plantation working families, descendants from all over the world). Then most of the sugar and pineapple plantations closed due to cheaper overseas production, and Hawaii switched economic bases to tourism and alternate agriculture (coffee, macadamia nuts, flowers).

Because Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific, people from all over the world visit and emigrate there. Remember that President Obama’s father (from Kenya) and mother (from Kansas) met and married in Honolulu. My sister in law in Kona is from Australia, and my Honolulu niece has married a guy from Morocco, adding to the international flair of Hawaii.

Hawaiian cuisine is the result of these islands being the Crossroads of the Pacific and because of the mix of ethnicities living in Hawaii. Leilani (Lani) Dowling, the cook at her restaurant does serve authentic Hawaiian plate lunches, desserts, and juices. Taking a look at her menu you will notice that Hawaiian food incorporates recipes that are Japanese (teriyaki chicken), Korean (kim chee), Filipino (lumpia), Portuguese (sausage and malasadas), Chinese (char siu bao, called manapua in Hawaii).

Lani and her husband Zane also truly exhibit the friendly “aloha spirit” I’ve previously written about as a My Tucson columnist last year for the Tucson Citizen.

So, in answer to my title’s question, go and find out for yourself at Lani’s Luau (2532 S. Harrison Rd.) whether their cuisine is international or just typical Hawaiian.

Phone # there is 886-LUAU (5828), closed Sunday and Monday.