Annie (Abigail Barrett, left) consoles an orphan (Josie Kevelson) in Saguaro City Music Theatre's production of "Annie," based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie."
'Annie' is a winner
This past Friday afternoon, I attended a production of the musical "Annie" at The Berger Performing Arts Center on Speedway Blvd. But it could have been Broadway in New York. The performance, presented by Saguaro City Music Theatre, was that good.
The cast of 59, including 39 children, was brimming with talent — acting, singing and even dancing — enhanced by a live orchestra.
Based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," the story follows the adventures of 11-year-old Annie, living a "Hard Knock Life" in an orphanage during The Great Depression. But the musical, which takes place during the holiday season, ends with a Christmas miracle; Annie finds her forever home.
I highly recommend that Tucson give itself one last holiday hurrah by seeing this show before kids go back to school. After all, to paraphrase perhaps its most famous song, the daily routine of 2026 is only a few days away!
Tickets for "Annie," which plays through Jan. 4, are still available by calling (520) 704-0193.
Barbara Russek
North side
Elder care
How are we safer, and how is America Great Again after the deportation of thousands of immigrant health care workers by the Trump administration? Who is going to work at our nursing homes, long-term-care facilities and who will come into our homes to provide care for the disabled and elderly people when so many of those currently doing these jobs are deported? Has anyone at HHS thought about the consequences of their actions? It appears not. The current system of care for our most vulnerable citizens is not perfect, but if you tear it down, you must have a better plan to replace it. Obviously, there is none.
Don Ries
Southeast side
RE: LTE Wa Wa Bla Bla
Really? Are you actually proud of your “Drunk Uncle” President? How many more have to suffer or die? Three more years, no way.
The November 2026 tsunami of Democrats and Independents will bring integrity and spines back to Congress. Trump will face accountability — finally. Impeachment, conviction, and removal from office are legal consequences for defying court orders, usurping powers designated to Congress, trampling on the Constitution, and grossly grifting for personal gain.
Your Drunk Uncle has complete contempt for the rule of law and disregard for the needs of the majority of our fellow citizens. When justice comes, it will be his duped sycophants who can be relegated to the “Wa Wa Bla Bla” section.
The rest of us will roll up our sleeves and get to work to restore the as yet incalculable damage he has done to our country, our global allies, and the Earth itself.
Judi Moreillon
Northeast side
We need Daniel Ellsberg now
In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a Pentagon analyst, released to the New York Times and the Washington Post information about a top-secret Defense Department report about the Vietnam War that revealed many of the lies and cover-ups by the Johnson and Nixon administrations in what became known as the Pentagon Papers.
In spite of being ordered by Congress to release the total Epstein files, the Trump DOJ has been grudgingly and partially releasing heavily redacted files in what appears to be an obvious cover-up to protect Trump and other figures.
There have to be numerous individuals in the DOJ with access to these files who can secretly release them to the media so that the American public can learn the truth about Trump's and others' involvement with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Recognizing that while releasing these files could put the leaker in legal and even physical danger, we need another courageous Daniel Ellsberg to please step up and come forward now.
Jeff Aronson
Northeast side
Compare Reiner and Trump
Rob Reiner was a successful film director who brought us these wonderful movies: "A Few Good Men", "When Harry Met Sally", and my favorite, "Misery". Donald Trump received over $400 million from his father. He is the only U.S. president who is a convicted felon (34 counts). He had six bankruptcies and other business failures. He got five military deferments. He has told over 30,000 falsehoods and is still lying. A jury found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll. His cruel and inhumane policies have brought many human beings misery.
Helen Murphy
Sierra Vista
Letter on kneelers
Monica Mohan's letter, "Is this discrimination?" (Dec. 27), reveals a lightning-rod issue simmering in the universal Catholic Church. To ban kneelers during Holy Communion at the New Mass is a veiled slight against the Old Mass. It is discrimination. Blame it all on Vatican II of the 1960s. When the Old Mass (Latin Mass) and the New Mass (Novus Ordo) are compared, it's noticed that the Latin Mass is a more solemn and penitential profession of faith, while the New Mass is liturgical light and breezy. How so? Compare the prayer missals. Very few Catholics know that the priests are facing the wrong way during the New Mass. For centuries, before Vatican II, the priests faced correctly, i.e., liturgical East. It's Biblical, thus a historical tradition. Why constrict almost 2,000 years of tradition? And this tradition is based on the Gospel of Matthew 24:27: East is the direction to look, for the return of Christ.
Daniel Pryor
West side
Trump’s first year of profit
According to widely cited financial estimates, Donald Trump’s net worth rose from roughly $4.3 billion a year ago to about $7.3 billion today, an increase of approximately $3 billion. Much of this growth is tied to his presidency: foreign-linked benefits such as a luxury aircraft from Qatar, expanded overseas licensing and property deals, and aggressive promotion of cryptocurrency ventures connected to Trump family members.
During the same period, Americans have faced elevated housing and health insurance costs, continued volatility in retirement accounts, and policy uncertainty that weakened federal agencies through mass departures of experienced staff. Promised economic relief for workers and seniors has been minimal, while tax, regulatory, and market advantages have disproportionately favored those already at the top.
Leadership is ultimately measured by outcomes. In Trump’s first year, the data point in one direction: extraordinary personal enrichment for the president and mounting economic hardship for the public. He promised the greatest economy, but for whom?
Lawrence Mazin
SaddleBrooke
Falsehood divides us
The op-ed on science vs. religion on Christmas Day exposed the root of polarization, namely, the prevalence of misunderstanding and hence disrespect for others. Mr. Gavlak mistook scientism for science and biblical literalism for religion. I believe (an act of faith) in broadening one’s mind by learning relevant facts, often found by others’ diligent investigations, to reach one’s own understanding that would bring harmony and peace to oneself and others. The following questions would be a start and perhaps a skeleton syllabus for a high-school course in the humanities, taught next to the physics lab.
— Why every culture has religion?
— What are the religions in the world?
— Do they have commonalities?
— What has “divine Providence” to do with American independence?
— What sustained the survival of the American slaves and led to the Civil Rights Movement?
— Why do all the leading universities offer religious studies?
Allow me to quote Albert Einstein, “Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind.” Happy New Year!
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
Gaza
In the 1990s, the United Nations sent a peacekeeping force to stop the violence and ethnic tensions between Bosnia and Croatia. They should take similar action in Gaza.
Jim Dreis
East side
LTE criticizing Sanders
The author states three students wearing keffiyehs (she didn't bother to look up the proper name) and speaking Arabic, were shot in an unprovoked attack. The author adamantly states no hate crime occurred. So ... it's a hate crime if a Jewish woman has a Star of David necklace ripped from her throat, but not if the attempted murder of three Arab or Muslim men were the victims?
Nowhere in the official reports does it state the perpetrator was pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli as the author claims (ludicrous in itself), but he was a white nationalist and mentally ill, stating the CIA told him to do it.
The Sanders amendment, which I doubt she bothered to read, Senate Resolution 529, condemns anti-Palestinian behavior... remember, Bernie is a Jew and led Trump by 16 points in 2016.
He is the only trustworthy politician. He has been tough on child labor, fought corporate welfare, held the IRS accountable and exposed corruption of military/industrial complex. All legislation passed while being an Independent.
Thomas J. Plesniak
Midtown
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