RUMORS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

Well, Cue Sheet has finally been revived! Back in January, the KUAT/Arizona Public Media Web site underwent a complete redesign, and launched with a few elements missing, like my blog. There was a notice on the KUAT-FM home page that Cue Sheet would be back soon, but as the months passed it seemed that “soon” was being measured in geologic time. My thanks to those of you who wrote or approached me at plays and concerts to ask when the blog would return to service.

Our tech folks were working on a number of projects during the first part of this year, and they were pretty picky about finding a new blog engine that would suit their demands. They frequently assured me that bringing back the blog was a high priority; they also mentioned several times how proud they were of the Web site’s new back end. It’s not many organizations that will admit that they’re run by the back end.

Anyway, Joey, our Web programmer, got things up and running to his satisfaction a couple of weeks ago, at the same time that I was starting a two-week break to help my wife adjust to home life after her back surgery. Now that I’ve returned, Joey is on vacation. So there are some behind-the-scenes things about this new blog system I haven’t figured out yet, and won’t until Joey gets back. (For one thing, that description on the right needs, shall we say, refinement. “This is a pretty awesome blog about all sorts of stuff” is nice, but not very specific.)

So please be patient as I ease back into the blogging routine. Newsman Robert Rappaport’s blog is running at full tilt, so spend some time with him via the link at the right in the meantime, and thereafter.

SUN TRAN FARE HIKE HEARING

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

If you ride the city bus and want to voice your opinions on proposed fare increases, tonight is your chance. The Tucson City Council holds a public hearing on Sun Tran's request. The hearing begins at 5:30 at council chambers, 255 W. Alameda, downtown.

Image courtesy of Sun Tran

Sun Tran says it needs the extra money to help pay for increasing costs, also saying there hasn't been a hike in fares since 2000. Several fares and passes would be affected by the hikes, but the most talked about is the regular one-way fare, which is now $1.00. Sun Tran wants to raise that to $1.25

You can read the specifics of the rate hike request here.

MONSOON IS HERE...REALLY

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

This is the first summer thunderstorm season in Arizona that's being defined by a specific date, rather than current weather conditions. The only problem is, there's no rain yet.

Beginning this year, the National Weather Service is designating the monsoon season between the dates of June 15th and September 30th. It says the change was needed to make residents more aware of the possibility of severe thunderstorms and be prepared.

In the past, the official start of the monsoon was related to dewpoints and then the start date was retroactive to three days prior to the designated dewpoint, which was different in Tucson than it was in Phoenix. Sure, that was confusing, but at least you had the rain.

You can track the monsoon progress here.

END-OF-WEEK NOTES

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

It was an interesting week here at Arizona Public Media. The blogs were launched, new ideas are in development and a certain staff member came back from vacation with a story of a random meeting.

The new blogs are being expanded and James Reel should return to blogging next week with his Cue Sheet, after a six-month hiatus while all the technical stuff behind our new website was being worked out. All the old stuff is archived for your perusal.

Arizona Illustrated and KUAZ anchor Bill Buckmaster returned from three weeks vacation this week and ran into someone of note while having a good time. You can read about it here.

I'll see you back here Monday!

PHOENIX MARS LANDER IS WORKING.

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

It seems like the too-clumpy soil managed to finally fit into an oven for testing. That's one of the key missions of the University of Arizona. A little vibration helped break apart the soil, so the first experiments can begin.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this image on Sol 14 (June 8, 2008), the 14th Martian day after landing. It shows two trenches dug by Phoenix's Robotic Arm.

The Phoenix Mars Lander, led by the University of Arizona, is now in its third week of work exploring the surface of the red planet and this week confirmed success with one of the experiments.

Scientists operating the spacecraft learned Wednesday that their latest effort to shake lumps of Martian soil into a tiny testing oven worked. Mission scientist William Boynton of the University of Arizona says the dirt finally started flowing and actually filled an oven.

Scientists twice have failed to get soil scooped up from the Martian arctic region into one of eight miniature ovens on the lander that will test for evidence of the chemical building blocks of life. In a last-ditch effort, scientists vibrated the dirt-covered mesh screen a final time in hopes that bits would shake through and fill the oven.

Data sent back by Phoenix early Wednesday showed its baking instrument brimming with enough soil to conduct the first experiment of the mission.

(Information courtesy of the Associated Press, University of Arizona and KUAZ News)

P.S. Did you know we have our own Mars page?

INFO GALORE

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

If you like politics and strong debate, be sure to tune in to Political Conversations and Arizona Spotlight this week, or listen to the podcasts that should be up by Friday morning.

Christopher Conover will devote this week's Political Conversations to the latest goings-on regarding the budget talks at the Capitol. We are just about three weeks out from the start of the new fiscal year and there still isn't a spending plan in place. The interview with House Minority Leader Phil Lopes (D-Tucson) will take place moments before the show's first airing Thursday at 4:20 p.m. I'm sure we'll have snippets of the interview during my newscasts Friday morning.

Peter Michaels will spend part of Arizona Spotlight discussing the latest downtown revitalization efforts with Glenn Lyons, the new director of the Tucson Downtown Partnership. The show airs Friday morning at 9:30 and again at 6:00 p.m.

It should be interesting to hear both interviews.