Arthritis sufferers say sharing feelings on paper creates friendship and relief
Arthritis is not just an "old person's" disease, says Terri Valenzuela.
It has many faces - young, old, male, female, wife, husband, mother, father.
Valenzuela is a 46-year-old single mother of three. She used to be a teacher. She used to be able to wake up in the morning without feeling pain, without feeling like she didn't want to go anywhere that day.
Then, overnight, she says it all changed.
She was diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disease. Then she was diagnosed with the rheumatoid arthritis that she says has "encompassed" her life.
Officials say that many students understand the temporary eyesore
Workers are putting finishing touches on the new campus bookstore and gearing up to fence off a portion of the Mall as student union construction nears the second phase.
The bookstore and Associated Students offices were set to relocate to the mostly-completed phase one of the new Memorial Student Union over winter break, but logistical problems with approving the fire alarm system delayed the move until the next "window of opportunity," or Spring Break, said Gilbert Davidson, assistant project manager for the new student union.
"This is a go," he said of the new moving date. "It actually worked out probably for the better. I think we were more organized for the actual move."
The UA women's golf team isn't taking long to defend its national title. Last year's NCAA champions lead No . 1 ranked Duke by one stroke after the first round of the Wildcat Invitational, which is being held at The Raven at Sabino Springs golf course.
"We did pretty good for the first day," freshman Lorena Ochoa said. "The course is very good for us. We have better chances than (the other teams). Everybody is very excited to be here and to be winning so far."
The Invitational - the second-ranked Wildcats' lone home tournament of the year - is being played at the par-72 Raven through tomorrow afternoon.
A six-year-old Arizona state law tried to go outside the accepted legal perimeters and lock up sex offenders in mental hospitals after their sentences were served. The Sexually Violent Persons Act allowed prosecutors to keep sex offenders indefinitely in mental hospitals if they could convince a jury that the offender had an untreatable sexual disorder.
Sex offenders commit heinous crimes. Be that as it may, they are entitled to equal treatment under the law. So as tempting as locking sex offenders up for life might be, it is not legal nor is it fair.
There is no doubt that the intention of this law had the public's best interest at heart, but it goes against the basic principles of American justice. If the legal rights of sex offenders are ignored, it sets a dangerous precedent that could utterly change the face of American justice.
Local nightclubs in cutthroat competition for fickle UA dollars
On a Friday night on Fourth Avenue, it is easy to see why UA students are so important to Tucson's bars and nightclubs.
Crowds throng the streets, packing smaller clubs and lining up outside the most popular destinations like Maloney's, O'Malley's or Club XS.
The sidewalks are packed as scantily clad club-goers hustle to and fro in the chilly evening air.
On such a night, operating a club within walking distance of the university seems like a guaranteed gold mine. But in reality, many of Tucson's bar and nightclub operators say it is an unpredictable and difficult business, and one prone to intense competition.
