Carolyn Classen

Carolyn Sugiyama Classen, a life long Democrat, was born & raised in the State of Hawaii, was a Legislative Aide for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye on Capitol Hill, and practiced law for a while. In Tucson she worked as a tribal staff attorney for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and later was the Interim Executive Director of the now defunct Domestic Violence Commission. In 2008 she became a “My Tucson” guest columnist for the Tucson Citizen newspaper, then continued blogging for Tucsoncitizen.com for over four and a half years. Her blogsite was entitled “Carolyn’s Community” about community events and some political news, until Gannett Publishing shut down the site on January 31, 2014. She started with Blog for Arizona on Feb. 11, 2014. Part time she sat as a Hearing Officer in Pima County Consolidated Justice Courts Small Claims Division since April, 2005 for 15 years. She is married to University of Arizona Distinguished Professor Albrecht Classen, a native of Germany. They have one son, who lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and daughter. She is also the Editor of the Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition website, www.southernazjapan.org (since Jan. 2013).

Happy New Year 2017

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Well, now that 2016 is past and we are officially in 2017, I would like to wish our loyal readers at Blog for Arizona a Happy New Year.  In Hawaii we say “Hau’oli Makahiki Hou” for this New Year’s greeting.

My advice for the New Year is to look forward, not backwards, be hopeful and spread goodness and kindness. Climb your ladder of success, however you define “success”, envision your future’s goals, and good luck in your endeavors.

ladder photo courtesy of Carolyn Classen
ladder photo courtesy of Carolyn Classen

 

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5 Films of Director Spike Lee coming to the Loft

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WEDNESDAYS IN JANUARY 2017, & WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson “Writer, director, actor, producer, author and educator, the always-provocative and always-outspoken Spike Lee has helped revolutionize Modern Black Cinema, and is widely regarded as one of the premier filmmakers of the last thirty years. From groundbreaking early features like … Read more

New Sun Tran rates go into effect January 1, 2017

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Sun Tran Introduces New Fares and SunGO Savings Programs for 2017

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“Effective January 1, 2017, Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Shuttle will implement a new fare structure and several new programs to allow riders to pay lower fares when using a SunGO Card.

  • Cash fares will be $1.75 for full-fare riders, $.75 for economy fare-riders and $2.25 for express buses.
  • Riders who pay their fare using value on a SunGO Card will now pay a discounted fare – $1.50 for full-fare riders and $.60 for economy-fare riders.
  • Each fare entitles the passenger to two hours of unlimited rides on all regular Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Shuttle routes.  Riders must have a SunGO card in order to load the two-hour transfer ticket.
  • Riders who load a Day Pass on their SunGO Card will also receive a discount – paying only $3.75 for unlimited rides during a 24-hour period.

 

New Fares on Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Shuttle

Effective January 1, 2017
Full Fare Economy Fare* Express Route Fare
One-way Cash Fare $1.75 $.75 $2.25
Fare Paid with SunGO Card $1.50 $.60 $2.25
1-Day Ticket – Sun Link Stops $4.00
1-Day Pass on SunGO Card $3.75
30-Day Pass on SunGO Card $45.00 $18.00 $60.00
* Economy Fare requires SunGO ID & Card

In addition, two promotional programs will allow riders to save even more when they use a SunGO Card.

  • $25 for $20: SunGO Card users who load $20 in value on their registered SunGO card, use it within 45 days and notify Sun Tran will receive a $5 value added to their SunGO card.
  • Free SunGO Card with Registration: Riders who register a SunGO card will receive a registration bonus – $2 added to their card.

According to Sun Tran General Manager Kate Riley, the fare change is part of a broader set of changes in 2017 which includes expansion of the frequent transit network (routes on which buses run at least every 15 minutes) and improvements at bus stops.  “Our goal is to make transit easier to use, more comfortable and affordable for everyone.”

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Season’s Greetings 2016

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Happy holidays and season’s greetings to all. Let us be politically correct and stay secular (and sober) during these winter holidays. Check out our terrific online Calendar (click on hyperlink here) updated frequently by yours truly, of upcoming events in the New Year, including what to do on and post Inauguration Day (January 20, 2017). … Read more

What is Creative Tucson?

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Some creative folks in town started up this venture in April, 2016. This is who they say they are: WHAT WE DO  “Creative Tucson is a community for video storytellers to create and share their content, both online and on cable television. We believe in finding and promoting new voices and giving them the tools … Read more