HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistorical Records - The Arizona Daily Star (29)Neighbors
The secret's
in the salsa
Don Nicolas C. Segura will
tell you what the ingredients
are in his Poblano chili sauce,
but the exact recipe is a se-
cret. Neighbors West,
Page 6H.
Suited to a `T' . When it comes to vehicles, Robert
Coretz picks the old instead of the new, especially if
he has a hand in making the old run as good as new.
Neighbors North, Page 3H.
Computerized buddies. Learning mathe-
matics can be fun when one of your best friends is a
computer that has all the answers ... and the
questions. Neighbors South, Page 4H.
aii, Arizona Dailtt Star TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980 * PAGE ONE
Word worker -- Perry
Glasser, who traffics in words, has the
ability to dash off "one really good page
of really bad Hemingway" in 30 min-
utes. (Star photo by Art Grasberger)
`Papa' parodist
misses boat for
Italian hangout
By CAROL SOWELL
The Arizona Daily Star
You don't have to be earnest to be Hemingway.
Tucsonan Perry Glasser proved that by devoting all of
30 minutes to dashing off a page of prose in Ernest
Hemingway's style.
The effort made the westside resident one of 28
semifinalists out of 2,400 entries — in the Third
International Imitation Hemingway Competition.
The contest, sponsored by Harry's Bar and Grill in
Century City, Calif., invited entrants to write "one
really good page of really bad Hemingway." Judges
included author Ray Bradbury and Jack Hemingway,
the late author's son. ,
Glasser, 31, saw an advertisement for the contest in
a magazine and figured, "It would be fun and easy for
me because I know the material."
He should know his Hemingway, after teaching high
school English classes for 10 years in New York. The
Brooklyn native now instructs a freshman composition
course in the University of Arizona English depart-
ment, where he is a graduate student in the creative -
writing program. He has used Hemingway short
stories in both classes to illustrate good writing.
Glasser's contest entry opens: "in the afternoon in
the autumn in the park when the sun was nearly set and
the sky was red and gold like the leaves were red and
gold, he sat, on a bench near the statue beneath the
trees in the shade."
Glasser's hero is joined by a young girl: "Her name
was Erika and that was good because once he had
known another Erika."
A terse dialogue follows, with moody remarks and
silences, and direct steals from Hemingway novels.
"After a while he said goodbye to the statue and he
went out and left the park and walked back to his
hotel," Glasser closes. The ending is a parody of the
last paragraph of "A Farewell to Arms," Hemingway's
novel about a wartime love affair with a tragic ending.
The only thing missing is the rain.
The entry that won the contest is similar to
Glasser's in style, but has characters named after
some of Hemingway's.
"I should have named her Catherine and set it in the
Abruzzi," Glasser observed, referring to the heroine
and the Italian setting of "A Farewell to Arms."
Though Hemingway is easy to parody, Glasser ad-
s
44 ,i
mitted, he doesn't think that takes away from the
reputation of Hemingway, a Nobel Prize winner.
"I think he's clearly one of the finest writers in
American literature," said Glasser, a fiction writer
himself.
However, "I hope my own stuff is nothing like his,"
he said. Contemporary fiction writers, including him-
self, are more introspective than Hemingway, who
dealt with "action and confrontation," Glasser ex-
plained. And that difference, he said, has lessened
Hemingway's reputation in recent years.
"Right now it's socially and politically suspect to
say you like Hemingway. He's out of fashion because of
the macho thing in a feminist age," Glasser said.
Hemingway began losing his popularity in the late
1960s when the war in Vietnam was at its height,
Glasser explained.
"He didn't glorify war, but war was a subject mat-
ter of his."
r
But as a stylist — known for using direct sentences
and simple, visual words — Hemingway is unbeatable,
Glasser said.
He cited Hemingway's "notion of getting a great
deal into a few words" as a valuable technique for
young writers to study.
And he's easy to read. "It's a rare page of Heming-
way that has a word of more than four syllables,"
Glasser said:
The local writer was pleased with his high standing
in the contest — except for seeing his name listed first
among the semifinalists, implying that he came in third
and just missed getting a prize.
The second -place winner received a scholarship to
the annual Santa Barbara Writers' Conference.
And the first -place winner got a trip for two to have
dinner at one of Hemingway's favorite hangouts —
Harry's Bar and American Grill in Florence, Italy.
"My wife had the bags packed," Glasser said.
■
e ors East
Student juggles
ambitions, time
By CYNTHIA R. MADEWELL
The Arizona Daily Star
Michael Scott McGuire judiciously juggles his time
between preparing for a military career and earning college
credit for an alternate profession.
The eastside resident's ambitions begin with his hope to
obtain an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Though McGuirz is optimistic about the appointment,
the U.S. Marine Corps reservist also has applied for admis-
sion to the Marines' officer -candidate flight program. And,
just in case, McGuire is a freshman engineering student at
the University of Arizona.
The 18-year-old has a good start on a military career.
After attending boot camp as a reservist, he obtained both a
presidential and a congressional nomination to the Naval
Academy.
His high honors in boot camp won him the presidential
nomination, McGuire said. The nomination, only awarded to
100 per year, was a surprise to McGuire: "I came home one
day and the letter was in the mail."
Encouraged by the honor, McGuire applied for and
received a congressional nomination from Arizona's Demo-
cratic Rep. Morris K. Udall. However, only five of a con-
gressman's nominees may attend the academy at one
time.
When he graduated from boot camp, McGuire also was
the recipient of many awards, including the U.S. Marine
Corps Leatherneck Award.
"I loved boot camp. I breezed through it because I
wanted to be there, and boot camp gave me self-determina-
tion. I know who I am, and what I can do," he said.
Even after hearing stories about the grueling work of a
first -year midshipman, McGuire is determined to succeed.
"People think I'm scared, but I know I can make it," he
said.
Proof of McGuire's determination is the hectic schedule
he maintains. Along with his duties as a reservist, McGuire
works 24 to 30 hours a week as a stock boy for Safeway Stores
Inc.
And he carries 16 units at the UA while waiting for a
letter informing him of a July 1980 appointment to the
academy in Annapolis, Md.
He passed the written flight test for the platoon -leader
class program of the U.S. Marine Corps and will receive
notice of his status in early May.
Meanwhile, it's just a matter of waiting.
He keeps in shape by lifting weights, finding little time
to participate in organized athletic events. "I would like to
play football at the Naval Academy," the husky,180-pounder
said.
Though he enjoyed sports as a Santa Rita High School
student, McGuire's practical nature took over, and he chose
work over athletics to maintain and pay the insurance for his
pickup truck. "I recently put new tires on the truck and had
it painted," he said.
Whether it's the military career or a career as an
engineer, the future will be carefully planned, he said.
,FREE BEEPER
demonstration
At home or office.
623-2545
Rent for as little as 30 days. See how it can
save time, money, gasoline.
Cl Choose from among the finest instruments
available. Tone or message beepers to fit
your precise needs. We deliver.
Fully staffed service and repair facility.
GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS
SERVICE INC.
425 E. 7th
Star photo by Art Grasberger
Michael Scott McGuire tends a recruiting booth at the University of Arizona
Merit, store competitions
9 Tucson students awarded scholarships
p
Nine Tucson high school students have been awarded
scholarships for outstanding academic performance in three
competitions.
Three Tucson seniors were named winners today in the
second of three announcements in -National Merit Scholar-
ship competition.
The local winners, their schools, sponsors and fields of
study are:
•dennifer L. Carrell, Rincon High School, Frank L.
Gannett Newspaper Foundation Inc., biology.
• Paul W. Davis, Rincon High School, International
Business Machines Corp., electrical engineering.
• Martha A. Matthews, Special Projects High School,
IBM, field of study undecided.
The local National Merit Scholarship winners are
among 1,125 named today to receive awards next fall.
Local winners of annual competitions sponsored by
Lucky Stores Inc. and Gemco Membership Department
Stores were announced last week at an awards dinner in
Tucson.
The recipients of the Lucky Stores awards, their high
schools and awards are:
• Carrie Denker, Sahuaro High School, $1,500.
• Patrick Crino, Palo Verde High School, $1,000.
• Jerold Neuman, Rincon High School, $500.
The recipients of the Gemco awards, their high schools
and awards are.
• Daniel O'Leary, Santa Rita High School, $1,500.
• Ronald Schackart, Palo Verde High School, $1,000.
• Lori Stiner, Flowing Wells High School, $500.
Building projects
• Carnes Construction Inc. is building an Eegee's res-
taurant at 401 W. Valencia Road. The restaurant and drive-
in window are expected to be completed July 1 at an esti-
mated cost of $139,000, a spokesman for the construction
firm said.
• Faith Lutheran Church, 3925 E. Fifth St., is repairing
fire damage in a school building and adding a second story
with eight rooms to the existing structure. Liden Construc-
tion Co. is the builder. The building should be completed by
September, a spokesman for the church said. The cost will
be $165,000 to $185,000, he said.
• H.G. Toll Co. is building rwo structures at 820 E. 47th
St. for Edelbrock Corp. The estimated cost of the buildings,
each containing a warehouse and offices, is $314,000. They
should be completed in June, a spokesman said.
• A warehouse and office building at 225 E. Eighth St.,
owned by Corbett Properties, should be complete by June,
said Tom•Gulliver of Lawrence Hickey & Sons Inc., project
builders. Offices will occupy 2,000 of the total 12,150 square
feet. The estimated total cost is $230,000, he said.
PAGE TWO — SECTION H * THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980
Neighbors North �,�h..�`1 North
Like new —
Robert Coretz, right, re-
stores a 1927 Touring T,
with the encouragement
of his brother, Alan, in
the driver's seat of an
1919 Huckster Wagon.
(Star photo by Art Gras-
berger)
Fixing
ancient
Fords
fits him
to a `T'
By JILL SCHENSUL
The Arizona Daily Star
Something is different.
You can tell as you proceed up the drive-
way toward the Coretz house, past street
signs — first Ninth Street, then 10th, then
19th and on to 25th —all within the space of a
few yards.
These incongruous street signs, bought at
a city auction, herald yet stranger sights.
Something is definitely different.
It becomes more apparent as you pass
the Coretz yard, where peacocks strut in a
coop called "The Estate," homing pigeons
contentedly coo, and a dog named Buck
smiles, really smiles, right at you.
Yes, something is definitely unusual
about these people, with three grand pianos
in the northside home they built with their
own hands and an early 1900s Edison phono-
graph on which they play quarter -inch -thick
recordings of Sousa marches.
But, wait. Although he definitely doesn't
mind sharing the limelight with the rest of
his family, Robert Coretz, 16 and the young-
est member, is the focus of this story.
Robert is a magician of the mechanical
sort. He can take a car 60 or 70 years old and
make it run like a dream ... as long as it's a
Model T Ford.
Since he began learning about T's three
years ago, he has restored two of them: a
1919 hand -cranking Huckster Wagon and a
1927 Touring T.
Robert's latest automotive project in-
volves building the body and roof of an oak
Huckster Wagon.
When his father bought the touring car
seven years ago, "I didn't know what was
what," Robert explained. Some interest was
expressed by his father and three brothers,
but the car was never in running condition.
"But then one day, I just picked up a book
on the car and started learning about it."
He offered the volume — a dogeared, well -
thumbed work — for inspection. "The next
thing I knew, we had it started."
It didn't take long for Robert to become
thoroughly versed in the inner tickings of
the stately old cars.
Back then, the engine design was surpris-
ingly straightforward, he said. In fact, the
four -cylinder machines, though spacious,
are light enough to get 31 miles to a gallon of
gas, he said.
There's a certain reverence in his voice
when Robert talks about the T's, perhaps
because he knows them so well. "They're
built a lot better than cars today," he said
unequivocally.
He defends the cars' image wholeheart-
edly, too. While many believe the elderly
beasts trundle along at no more than 25 or 30
mph, he said the cars can whiz by at a good
50 mph. Of course, that can take about 20
minutes to reach, he added with a subtle
smile.
But for the youngest Coretz, speed is a
moot point anyway because he doesn't have
a driver's license yet, and his only spins are
around the property. "I'm not into hot rods
or anything," he said solemnly.
Dressed in his riding cap and jacket (all
members of the family, from parents Irving
and Mollie on down, have the obligatory
Model T passenger garb), he certainly looks
the Model T buff.
But while Robert's head may be partly in
the clouds (or the crankcase) about the old
cars, his feet are planted firmly in what he
said are the more important, fertile soils of
academics and music.
Robert, who is in the top 10 percent of his
Tucson High School sophomore class, wants
to be a doctor.
And, like every other member of the fam-
ily, he plays a musical instrument. His forte
is the violin, which he has played for six
years.
Sometimes the family gets together and
Flowing Wells OKs 11% pay increase
The Flowing Wells School Board at its meeting Tuesday
night approved an 11 percent pay increase for administra-
tive employees and an average increase of 11 percent for
classified employees.
The raises are the same as the average 11 percent
increase for teachers approved on March 25, assistant su-
perintendent Robert Lenihan said.
Nogales, Marana bands in concert
The Nogales and Marana high school bands will join in
concert at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Marana High School
auditorium.
The Nogales band, under the direction of Ken Tittel-
baugh, and the Marana band, directed by Marshall Stewart,
will play several numbers together, including the "William
Tell Overture" and a medley of Billy Joel songs.
The concert also will feature individual performances
by each school's jazz band. The concert is free and open to
the public.
More than 60 persons attended the board's regular
session, many to express concerns about the recent budget
cuts in the sports programs.
On April 8, the board began cutting VM,000 from next
year's budget by altering athletic programs. Intramural
programs were substituted for interscholastic sports at the
junior high school level, and the number of coaching posi-
tions was reduced at the junior high and high school levels.
Interscholastic golf and gymnastics were eliminated.
After pleas Tuesday night from golf and gymnastics
students and coaches to keep the programs, trustee James
Barber said the board would not take any action, but he
encouraged the staff, coaches, parents and students to pre-
pare alternative program proposals for consideration by the
board.
Some parents at the meeting offered to pay for such
expenses as uniforms, transportation and meals required for
out-of-town trips.
lets the tunes flow through a huge music
room, bedecked with grand pianos and oil
paintings of the Southwest done by brother
Mike.
Sometimes the four brothers get together
and help their parents work on the garden.
Sometimes they build a new wall or a
patio.
Sometimes, too, they go their separate
ways, but always keeping each other's inter-
ests to the fore.
All the brothers, ages 16 to 24, have been
involved in 4-H activities and keep a watch-
ful eye on one anothers' projects. Brother
Craig's peacocks and pigeons, for example,
are growing fat not only from the feed their
owner gives them, but from three concerned
siblings, as well.
Hardly a weekend goes by that a brother
or two doesn't stop off in the garage, clut-
tered with Model T bumpers, gears and
tools, to give the cars a buffing, rewiring or
look-see. All with the aim, of course, of a
higher mode of mobility.
As the engine sputters into life after sev-
eral energetic bouts with the crank, and the
car goes rumbling past 25th Street,l9th, loth
and Ninth in a cloud of dust with several
Coretzes hanging on the running board, it
would seem they have achieved their goal.
Stamos' zoning request
up to Oro Valley council
A rezoning request from developer John G. Stamos for a
shopping center and 35 townhouses will be heard at tonight's
Oro Valley Town Council meeting.
The plan for the 20-acre site at North Oracle Road and
West Linda Vista Boulevard was unanimously recom-
mended for approval earlier this month by the town's Plan-
ning and Zoning Commission. Stamos wants rezoning from
suburban -ranch to transitional and local -business uses.
At a 6:30 p.m. study session before the meeting, council
members will hear a presentation from the Arizona Parks
Board.
They also will receive the resignation of Dorothy Mont-
gomery from several Pima Association of Governments'
planning committees and may appoint a new representative
to the committees, said Patricia Noland, town clerk. Mont-
gomery is vice chairman of the Planning and Zoning Com-
mission.
The regular meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Town
Hall, 680 W. Calle Concordia.
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980 THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR * SECTION H — PAGE THREE
NeighborsSouth
Meeting the future —Virginia
McCaulou introduces Michael Sidebottom, left,
and Eric Milligan to a new "friend," a micro-
computer at Los Ninos Elementary School.
(Star photo by Art Grasberger)
Chatty computers multiply learning foryoung whizes
By CAROL SOW ELL
The Arizona Daffy Star
"You were doing great, Kathy. Don't blow it."
Kathy's trying not to blow it. She wants to be sure of the
right answer before she replies.
"I'm waiting, Kathy."
Kathy thinks hard, then gives a tentative answer.
"No, Kathy, try again."
Kathy appreciates her friend's patience, but she knows
the friend will wait only so long. She gives it her best shot.
"Great, Kathy' You made it!"
Kathy is a sixth grader who has just figured out what
you get when you divide 79 into 725,688. Her friend is a micro-
computer who has all the answers, and all the questions,
too.
Kathy is one of about 50 accelerated students at Los
Nifios Elementary School in the Sunnyside Unified School
District who spends 15 minutes a day in the school's Learn-
ing Resource Center, formerly the library. The youngsters
work on advanced mathematical problems at one of the
school's three microcomputers.
While sixth graders work on complex fractions and long
division, third graders. may be exploring multiplication.
Each student works at his or her level, determined by Vir-
ginia McCaulou, who runs the resource center.
The lessons are programmed on cassettes, which the
students load into the machine.
The computer "talks" to the student on a small screen
and offers a series of problems to be worked. The student,
who signs in by name, types answers on a keyboard.
"The children are highly motivated to talk back to it,"
McCaulou said.
Green Valley vehicle tests
The mobile vehicle -emissions testing unit will be in
Green Valley May 13 to 16.
Testing will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
the Haven Green Valley Mall.
Vehicles may be tested up to 90 days before registra-
tion expires. State officials advise motorists to drive at
least five miles before testing so the engine will be at
normal operating temperature.
At the end of the lesson, the computer tells how many Sunnyside paid about $900 each for its machines and
problems the student answered right or wrong and gives a $1,000 for a mathematics program marketed by the Dallas
percent score. Independent School District.
"Children have no difficulty with machines," McCaulou
said.
She keeps records of the students' progress and makes
sure they work on new lessons when the old ones are learned.
The computer lessons are performed in addition to the
students' regular classroom mathematics lessons, she
said.
Los Nifios' machines are samples of the small, inexpen-
sive "home" computers sold on the retail market, a recent
offshoot of the fast -developing technology in the computer
field.
"The microcomputer makes computer -assisted instruc-
tion economically feasible," said A.C. Riddle Jr., public -
relations coordinator for the district.
North
The district also has five of the machines at Apollo
Junior High School and five at Sunnyside High School, using
the same mathematics lessons for remedial work.
"Two of the sixth graders have refined their skills right
out of the existing programs," McCaulou said. The two stu-
dents now are writing their own programs, including games
for other students to play.
The machine can even provide motivation if a student
seems hesitant.
"Come on, try one, Tiger," it tells a youngster who has
given himself a new name to use with the computer.
Tiger tries one.
"Great, Tiger, keep up the good work!"
Amphi arbitration representatives named
Representatives to arbitration meetings on teachers'
salaries and benefits have been selected by the Amphithe-
ater School Board and the Amphitheater Classroom Teach-
ers' Association.
Both sides agreed to arbitration April 15, when an
impasse was reached in contract negotiations. This is the
sixth time since 1967 that the district has called in an
arbitrator.
President Richard A. Scott announced at a regular
board meeting Tuesday night that he appointed himself and
board clerk Nancy J. Thomas as board representatives.
Teacher representative Bev Burger said yesterday that
she, Bill Nicholson and association President Larry Wurst
will represent teachers.
In executive session Tuesday night, board members
and the district administration reviewed the seven names
they received from the American Arbitration Association
Monday. Teachers reviewed the names at a meeting yester-
day.
Each side will indicate which arbitrators are accept-
able, and the final decision on who will be assigned will be
made by the arbitration association, Scott said. The starting
date for arbitration meetings has not been set.
In other action Tuesday, the board voted 3-2 to hire a
full-time art teacher to spend one day a week at each of four
elementary schools — Nash, Wetmore, Keeling and Coro-
nado. Thomas and Darrell L. Sabers voted against the pro-
posal, saying that too little time is left in the school year for a
new teacher to start an effective program.
The next regular board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. May
13 in the district office, 125 E. Prince Road.
Amphitheater sets dates
for kindergarten sign-up
Kindergarten registration for children in the Amphithe-
ater School District will be May 5-9 at the district's 10
elementary schools.
Enrollment is limited to children who have reached
their fifth birthdays before Oct. 1,1980. Parents should bring
the child's birth certificate and immunization record at the
time of registration.
Registration times and dates vary from school -to
school, so parents should call the school the child will attend
for specific information.
PAGE FOUR —SECTION H
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
TUCSON, THURSf' Y, }"PPIL 24, 399,0
Neighbors M Central
0
ApsF
1 ram'
Star photo by Jim Davis
Fantasy folks: Mad Hatter (Jim Goodridge), March Hare (Rich Beardsley) and Alice (Lori Bailey)
Valley of the.Moon revisited,
Restoration group reawakens echoes of the spirit of kindness
In the past two years, the Valley of the Moon, the
incarnation of a wizard's dream, has been vandal-
ized. The ringing laughter and squeals of joy of the
children within its caverns and crannies were si-
lenced.
But thanks to the determination, time and money
of a group of lovers of all things magical, the Valley
of the Moon, 2544 E. Allen Road, will reopen for the
business of magic Sunday through May 1.
Tickets for the tour, "Walk Through Wonderland
with Alice," will raise funds to get the amusement
park ready for another free season of fun. Cost of
tickets, which can be purchased at the door, will be $3
for adults, $1 for children and $2 for students with
identification. The half-hour tours will begin at
about 7.30 p.m.
By JILL SCHENSUL
The Arizona Daily Star
A spirit resides at the Valley of the Moon.
The elusive entity can't be destroyed.
It whips in the wind through caves and grottoes that
were conjured up by a kind wizard. It is always a
breath ahead of time, technology and non -believers.
It is the spirit of kindness, and it will reside on the
Valley of the Moon's 21/2 acres for as long as there are
children to experience it.
A magical light first fell on the land in 1932, when
George Legler, postal clerk extraordinaire, began
transmogrifying tons of stone on the property. Ce-
mented with a magic paste of love and laughter, the
stones became a series of caves and tunnels in which
strange things could and did happen.
For instance, wide-eyed children who know that all
magic is true met there with the kissing bunny, the
histrionic raccoon and the dancing mice for doses of
concentrated kindness.
And Legler, the wizard who lived there, was able
to continue his magical reign even after taking ill,
thanks to a diet of condensed milk and vitamin pills.
A miracle, too.
The light began to fade once with the wizard, as he
became too ill to keep his beneficent power over the
land.
The rabbit didn't pucker, the raccoon didn't emote,
and the dancing mice took off their tutus. They waited,
in the cavernous darkness, for someone to reawaken
the spirit.
And of course that is just what happened, since
there is no such thing as a dead fairyland spirit —
especially in the Valley of the Moon.
Some high school students, remembering a dream-
like place they had visited when they were younger, set
off to find it again. With a mixture of dismay and
determination, they discovered their dusty wonderland
and its wizened wizard and set out to reconstruct their
dream.
That was the birth of the Valley of the Moon Res-
toration Association Inc.
Since that time in 1973, the rodents have been re-
tired, replaced by more human actors. The old wizard
Legler, now 95, has moved to Posada del Sol Nursing
Home. But the spirit won't die.
Not even when vandals invaded the fairyland one
night in the fall of 1978. They tore wires and sprinklers
from the earth and destroyed bushes and. shrubs and
other things that could fall down.
But the wizard was wise, and knew that his magic
cement could never fail. Such is the stuff from which
forever is made.
Though it has taken a while to heal, the fairyland
is ready for magic once again.
And wbo better to reopen the place than that vet-
eran of enchantment, Alice of Wonderland fame?
A walk through the Valley of the Moon wonderland
with Alice is filled with echoes —and not just from the
strange music that resounds through the caves.
The echoes of the spirit of kindness are in every
twist and curve, in every step and wall the wizard
created. Following Alice toward the Mad Hatter and
his friends, one can almost hear the ring of laughter in
walls made up of stones with smiling faces painted on
them.
Tiger Lily questions Alice from a little nook that
was labeled "Magic Tower" long before she was born,
and the evasive White Rabbit makes haste past walls
studded with ancient lucky pennies.
While everyone knew the spirit of the Valley never
left, it may bum a little brighter when the sun goes
down and the moon rises over that strange and magical
land next week.
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, I9SC THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR Jr SECTION! H — PACE FIVE
Neighbors
W =,�� ���West
Lots of salsa— Nicolas C. Segura
spends afternoons bottling his secret recipe for chili
sauce, which he markets under the brand name Pob-
lano. (Star photo by Art Grasberger)
Only Don Nicolas knows
recipe for Poblano sauce
By KIRK McDONALD
The Arizona Daily Star
Nicolas C. Segura is the only person in
the world who knows how to make Poblano
chili sauce.
The 79-year-old westside resident has
been making salsa picante, spicy sauce,
since he opened a restaurant when he came
to Tucson in 1924.
Though other members of the Segura
family have helped in its production, semi-
retired Don Nicolas ("don" is a Spanish
term of respect) continues to control the
exact recipe, which he says is getting better
all the time.
However, Poblano sauce is unlike most
family recipes, which are reserved for rela-
tives and friends. The product has been sold
throughout the nation.
The story of Don Nicolas and Poblano
sauce began in Mexico, where, as an orphan
raised by one of his aunts, he never had the
opportunity to attend school. Instead, the
young Nicolas spent his early years as a taco
vendor on the streets and at the railroad
station of Pachuca, Hidalgo, the town where
he was born.
Later he moved indoors, working as a
waiter. Throughout these jobs he saved his
money, preparing for the day he could open
his own restaurant.
Battles for control of Mexico were being
fought in the early 1920s. Many people were
afraid; they didn't know when or how the
conflict would end, he said. By 1923, Don
Nicolas and Angelita, his bride of one year,
decided they had enough. They went to No-
gales, Son., before coming to Tucson the
next year.
"Settling in America, I had peace and
quiet plus the opportunity to have a business
of my own," Don Nicolas said in Spanish,
with his son Oscar translating.
However, Don Nicolas did not plan to
All around town
10 Tucsonans accepted
by Up With People casts
Ten Tucson students have been accepted
to participate with the 1980-81 casts of Up
With People.
The students are Susan Barnes, Terri
Chapman, Francisca Garcia, Dawn Jack-
son, Cathy Kundrat, Lorene Long, Kathleen
Mild, Tom Smalley, Pamela Traficanti and
Lynda Wailes.
Chosen from 7,000 applicants worldwide,
the students each must raise $4,800 tuition to
participate in the 11-month program. They
will spend four weeks in Tucson this sum-
mer learning the two-hour show, then join
one of five touring groups for performances
in the United States, Latin America and
Europe.
start a salsa factory when he arrived in the
United States more than 40 years ago. That
came later, after years in the restaurant
business.
Besides the salsa formula, the Seguras
brought with them the folded taco, which at
the time was an unfamiliar concoction in
Tucson, even for Mexican -Americans, they
said.
At La Luncheria, near West Congress
Street and South Stone Avenue, the first of a
series of restaurants they owned and
operated, they were surprised to find people
reluctant to buy tacos. To promote the dish,
they offered a free root beer with each
order, Mrs. Segura said.
Because many of their customers were
cowboys who still rode horses, the restau-
rant had a hitching post in front to solve the
parking problems of the day, Don Nicolas
said.
As the family's size grew, so did the res-
taurant staff. Each of the Seguras' eight
children worked after school and on week-
ends at the various restaurants, he said.
By the 1940s, people familiar with the
restaurants' food suggested to Don Nicolas
that he market his salsa. He sold a few cases
to some Mexican -American and Chinese-
American grocers, but found it difficult to
promote his product because he did not
speak English.
However, public response was good
enough that when doctors told Don Nicolas
he should leave the restaurant business be-
cause of skin irritation and eye damage
from the hot kitchen grease, he decided to
manufacture the chili sauce as an alternate
career.
In 1951, he obtained the required Health
Department permits and started a family
business on Main Street. The Seguras moved
their business to West Lester Street in the When the family began selling the salsa
1960s. in the early 1950s, the market was confined
mainly to Southern Arizona. Now orders for
To make the salsa, Don Nicolas grinds
various types of chilies, mixing the powder
with ground cayenne, vinegar (which he
makes himself) and salt. The mixture is
aged in plastic barrels for 15 to 20 days
before it is poured by hand into the 6-ounce
bottles that retailers sell.
Don Nicolas is helped by his five sons and
many of his 40 grandchildren. They still
tighten the bottle caps by hand and even
make their own glue for the labels.
Trash collection
Six city neighborhoods will be served
during May by the Sanitation Department's
special trash collection.
There is no charge for the continuing
service, which rotates around the city and is
provided in addition to regular trash collec-
tions.
Piles of trash must be stacked where
refuse normally is collected and may not be
larger than 4 feet high, 6 feet wide and 6 feet
long. Areas to be covered are:
Central
• Winsett Street to 32nd Street between
Alvernon Way and Swan Road, May 14.
• 22nd Street to the city limits between
Country Club Road and Alvernon Way, May
21.
• Grant Road to Pima Street between
Country Club Road and Columbus Boule-
vard, May 21.
East
• Broadway to 22nd Street between Pru-
dence and Harrison roads, May 7.
• Glenn Street to Grant Road between • Broadway to 22nd Street between Mann
Tucson and Columbus boulevards, May 7. Avenue and Prudence Road, May 14.
the salsa come from throughout the United .
States and Canada.
In 30 years, weekly sales have increased
from 10 cases of 24 bottles each to an aver-
age of 60 cases today, Oscar Segura said.
Though Don Nicolas officially retired in
1974, he continues working at the salsa fac-
tory in the afternoons. He has made ar-
rangements for his sons to inherit the recipe
so they can continue the family tradition
after his death. Until then, Don Nicolas is
the only one to mix the exact proportions.
Don Nicolas and his wife lead quiet lives
away from the salsa factory. Devout Catho-
lics, they pray daily at an altar honoring the
Virgin of Guadalupe in their living room at
24 N. Melwood Ave. Don Nicolas built the
altar when his oldest son, Nicholas Jr., was
a Marine serving in the South Pacific in
World War II. At Christmas, a Mass at this
altar is a neighborhood tradition, Oscar Se-
gura said.
The Seguras said they would like to see a
return to la vida mas paci%ica r a more
peaceful life. They remember Tucson in the
1920s with nostalgia:
"The early days were better. The people
were friendly and more courteous. There
was a happier mood. Now you can't even
step outside the door without being afraid,"
Don Nicolas said.
"People don't take the time to enjoy life
like in the old days. Then everybody
thought, 'Let's enjoy today, because tomor-
row may never come.'"
PAGE SIX —SECTION H tt THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980
Central
At his own clip
Tom Brower, left, benefits from the
many years of barbering knowledge
of Angela and Tony Russo. (Star
photo by Art Grasberger)
Barber from Italy truly got his start as a little shaver
By SUSAN M. KNIGHT
The Arizona Daily Star
"Been in business for almost 30 years," boasted the
barber as he lathered up a customer.
The vision that comes to mind might be of a silver -
haired barber in a white apron with a towel hanging over one
arm, talking politics with the cronies as he slides a straight
razor over a bristly cheek.
But Tony Russo, a native of southern Italy and owner of
Hair East, 5338 E. 22nd St., doesn't fit the description.
His dark brown hair and youthful olive skin suggest he
might be stretching the truth about being in business that
long. But at a young 38, he indeed has been clipping and
trimming for 27 years.
That's right, since he was 11 years old.
At a time most little boys have to be shanghaied to the
barber shop for shearings, Russo was whisked off to cut
other people's hair.
Southern Italy was a poor, non -industrial area, Russo
said. Youngsters had to go to school only until they were 11,
and a child was trained in a trade at an early age.
"So Dad put me in the barbershop where he got his hair
cut and said, `Here's my son. Teach him how to cut hair,' "
said Russo, his voice tinged with his Italian heritage.
So began more than six years of an apprenticeship
without salary.
The days were a far cry from the roller skates and
soccer games enjoyed by his three children today. There
was no fooling around. Work began at 8 a.m. and lasted until
6 p.m. six days a week. Sundays they worked only a half -
day.
As an apprentice, Russo did all the chores, "like a little
slave," until he was trained to shave the customers, he said.
There was no running water, and the 10 to 12 apprentices
were responsible for keeping the wall tank with water -
warmed on a propane stove.
Russo would stand on a stool to shave a customer. Then
he would walk around the porcelain -decorated barber chair
and watch as the "master barber" gave the haircut.
"I could never understand why people would trust you
to give them a shave, and they wouldn't trust you to give
them a haircut," he said.
Russo's first haircutting attempts were made on trips to
the farm lands. The shopkeeper would trade haircuts for
grain, but all the boys would get was a little nervous and "a
good meal."
Sometimes the apprentices would receive 25 or 50lire —
a nickel or a dime —for brushing hair off a customer's shoul-
ders. But the boss kept the tips, then doled them out at
Christmas and Easter, after taking 10 percent off the top.
"I felt pretty lucky, though. You had the guarantee that
when you left there, you were a real barber," he said.
After fighting for Mussolini in World War II, Russo's
STORE YOUR FURS AT
to protect them from
HUNGRY MOTHS
Storage as low as $6.
SWITZER'S
IN PARK MALL
7,18-81 h2
father went to Belguim to work in the coal mines to support
his family. He returned to Italy once a year for a visit.
In 1952, Russo's uncle sponsored his father's immigra-
tion to the United States. Three years later, his father had
earned enough money to bring over his family.
They settled in Racine, Wis., where Russo lived until he
moved to Tucson more than a year ago.
He was adorning his customers with the "European
look" long before it was popular in the United States, he said.
"In Italy, everything was styling there. I didn't know what
electric clippers were until I got here."
Russo still specializes in non -electric methods. "I use
strictly combs, shears and razors," he said.
"But when I came to this country, I had to learn all
over again. I had to learn how to give the crew cuts, the flat
tops and the Perry Comos and the Princetons."
Russo met his Italian wife, Angela, in Racine. She was
an apprentice with him, and the two have been in business
together ever since.
Tucson's warm weather prompted their move. Al-
though Russo said he treasured seeing that first snow when
he came from Italy, he tired of the long, harsh Wisconsin
winters.
"It (Tucson) reminds me of the southern part of Italy
with the olive trees, the orange trees, palms, figs, the moun-
tains and sun. There's just no sea around," he said.
But there is the haircutting business.
METAL -__
BUILDINGS
Illus. Approx.
30'x25' metal building erected for
$goo
per sq. ft.
Includes: 4" slab w/footing, 1-16'xT overhead
door, 1-50x3O window, 1-32" door (only)
.For more information call:
888-6872 0► 88 / -2883
Winstead & Sons Const. Co.
Tucson Distributor for Pacific
Outdoor Products, Inc.
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
* SECTION H —PAGE SEVEN
All around Southern Arizona
`Breaking away' — Members
of Bisbee's Cosmic Sport Club warm up for
tomorrow's start of La Vuelta bicycle competi-
tion. (Star photo by Howard Fischer)
Hometown boys
gear up to win
Vuelta de Bisbee
By HOWARD FISCHER
The Arizona Daily Star
BISBEE—Some Bisbee bicyclists are hoping the home-
town advantage gives them a boost in this weekend's com-
petition in La Vuelta de Bisbee.
Members of the Cosmic Sport Club have been practic-
ing regularly up and down the hills of this community, trying
to shave seconds off their times. They will be fielding three
four -man teams when the first of four events begins tomor-
row night in the fourth annual meet.
Most didn't start out riding bicycles with the intent of
competing for prizes.
"I do a lot of touring," Tim Mulvey said. "Racing goes
right along with it."
Bruce Brayley got his start like so many youngsters —
with his own three -speed bicycle. And he hasn't lost interest
yet.
Serious bicycle racing, though, is a far cry from lei-
surely rides around the neighborhood. And it is not without
its drawbacks.
There is the expense. Brayley said a good racing bicycle
costs $1,300 to $1,400, not to mention the $25 to $30 a throw for
tires.
Granted, someone could buy a car for that amount of
money, "but you wouldn't -have a car that could win the
world championship," Brayley said. To a serious cyclist, a
top -of -the -line bicycle is like a Ferrari to an automotive
enthusiast, he added.
Another consideration is the time involved.
Richard Garigl — riding with the Cosmic Sport Club
because his Colorado club couldn't get enough members
together for a team — said he doesn't work during the
summer months. He rides 350 to 500 miles a week, practicing
two to three hours a day.
Club members stressed that bicycle racing is not all an
individual effort.
"Team tactics can make all the difference," Brayley
said.
For example, a team's strong rider might break away
from the pack while his teammates stay behind, keeping the
competition back. If someone breaks away to catch the
leader, the teammates may stay right on that person's
tail.,
In that situation, Brayley explained, the competitor
gets tired and the follower, shielded from the wind resis-
tance, doesn't have to exert as much energy.
Brayley pointed out that only 20 percent of the resis-
tance comes from the bicycle and pavement itself; the
remainder comes from the wind. And the wind resistance
increases geometrically in proportion to the speed, he
said.
Traveling at 30-plus miles an hour, that can make a
difference.
Bicycle racing is not exclusively for men: Cosmic Sport
has several female members, but they won't be participat-
ing in this weekend's events.
Louella Holler said that unlike most other races, La
Vuelta has no women's class. With a few exceptions, she
said, women do not have the same physical strength as men
and therefore cannot compete against them.
She hopes to change that for next year's Vuelta and
push for women to be allowed to participate.
Time trials a race up Mule Mountain Pass
The Arizona Daily Star Team time trials are set for 8 a.m. Sunday on
BISBEE — La Vuelta de Bisbee's fourth annual run Highway 666 north of Douglas. The flat 25-kilometer
kicks off at 6 p.m. tomorrow with individual time (15.5-mile) route between the Bisbee -Douglas Interna-
trials. tional Airport and Elfrida must be ridden in both di-
rections.
Bicycle riders will face a 4.7-kilometer (2.9-mile)
uphill course from the foot of Main Street to the top of
the Mule Mountain Pass, a rise of more than 700 feet.
Last year, Jacques Boyer set a course record of 9:59
minutes, averaging better than 17 miles an hour on the
climb.
The road race starts at 10 a.m. Saturday from down-
town Bisbee, up through the Mule Pass tunnel and then
west on Highways 80 and 90 to Moson Road. Racers
then turn south to Hereford Road to Highway 92 and
back into Bisbee.
The course covers 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The fourth, and perhaps hardest, stage of the race
is called the criterium starting at 1 p.m. Sunday in Old
Bisbee. This is a 30-lap, 1.2-mile loop up and down the
hills of the city, which constitutes a total climb of 9,000
feet for the cyclist, organizers said.
Last year, only nine -tenths of a second separated
the first three finishers in the criterium.
The young ones will not be left out of the weekend
festivities. "La Vueltita" is planned for 11 a.m. Satur-
day between the mouth of Brewery Gulch and the
starting line for La Vuelta. La Vueltita is open to chil-
dren ages 4 to 8. Tricycles are allowed.
PAGE EIGHT —SECTION H *
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980