REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED | | |
1. With this week's post for National Hispanic Heritage Month, I am highlighting the 2025 National Latine Playwrights Award & Festival, hosted by the Arizona Theatre Company on October 4th at the Tempe Center for the Arts.
2. In Performing Arts, I have a preview of plays coming to Tucson and Phoenix this fall.
3. In Bragging Rights, I have the return of young Micah, whom I bragged on along with his mom, Laora, last December.
4. This week, I'm shining the Flock Spotlight on a Kailua-Kona triathlete, race sponsor, and community treasure, Sean "Peaman" Pagett.
5. I have a Reader Submission this week from Flock reader Raquel Abru, who sent in some beautiful photos of the countryside around Frisco, Colorado.
6. In Around Town, I recently learned that the Green Things Nursery, which happens to be just around the corner from my home in Tucson, has a full slate of classes and special events scheduled for this fall. Visit their site and check them out.
7. I have two more late additions to my recent series on Polar Bears of the Arctic. The first item is an abandoned Russian polar research station that polar bears have repopulated. The second is a short excerpt from the 2013 BBC documentary The Polar Bear Family & Me, as a cameraman films a polar bear trying to crack open the acrylic cage from which he is filming.
8. In Wellness, I have Good Housekeeping's rundown on their top 19 vegetables to add to your diet.
9. In Bindu's Corner this week, we celebrate the Goddess within.
I hope you will pick and choose, and read what might touch your heart, and that in a small way, I have been able to add a bit of comfort to your day. Please feel free to share the Flock…
| | Now, to this week's Flock. | | 1. National Hispanic Heritage Month, 9.15.25 – 10.15.25 | | The Arizona Theatre Company will be presenting their annual National Latine Playwrights Award to Edwin Sánchez for his play, Lottery Boy, next Saturday, October 4th, at the Tempe Center for the Arts. A reading of the play will follow a reception and award presentation. | 2025 National Latine Playwrights Award & Festival | |
ATC will celebrate 2025 NLPA Winner Edwin Sánchez for his winning play, Lottery Boy, with its second year hosting the National Latine Playwrights Award & Festival at Tempe Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The festival, led by its director and ATC Playwright-in-Residence Elaine Romero, invites the community to enjoy a staged reading of Lottery Boy, an awards ceremony honoring Sánchez, and a post-show roundtable discussion. This is a FREE event with a suggested donation of $10 or more per ticket reservation.
5 PM – TCA Lobby & Lounge
- Happy hour with cash bar and light bites provided
- Live performance by Mariachi Rubor
6 PM – Mainstage Theatre
- NLPA Award Presentation – Award crafted by notable Phoenix artist Zarco Guerrero
- Congressional Award Presentation by Congressman Greg Stanton
- Play Reading of Lottery Boy
- Post-Show Discussion
Established in 1995, Arizona Theatre Company’s National Latine Playwrights Award (NLPA) is unique in its longevity and prescience. Under the leadership of ATC Playwright-in-Residence and NLPA Festival director Elaine Romero, the award continues to create a greater awareness of under-represented Latine writers’ stories. It has honored many outstanding works by Latine playwrights who have achieved remarkable success throughout the country.
| |
2. Performing Arts: Fall Plays
| | The following is a preview of plays coming to Tucson and Phoenix in the next few months. We are fortunate to have such high-quality theatre here in our little corner of the Southwest. | | Arizona Theatre Company
Deceived
| | |
Tucson: September 28 – October 18
Tempe/Phoenix: October 25 – November 9
| | This gripping, suspense-filled new adaptation of 1938’s tense psychological thriller “Gaslight” follows a young wife as she struggles to make sense of strange occurrences in her home. Is she losing her grip on reason, or is it being loosened for her? In an atmosphere of growing paranoia, manipulation, dark secrets, and distrust, she fights to discover the truth. Shocking plot-twists-and-turns abound in this new take on an old classic. | | Broadway in Tucson
& Juliet
| | |
Centennial Hall
October 29 – November 2
| | Broadway’s most fun hit musical, & Juliet, flips the script on the greatest love story ever told, imagining what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. | |
Broadway in Tucson
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
| | |
Centennial Hall
November 11 – November16
| | Discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas,” The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Whos, an endlessly cheerful bunch bursting with holiday spirit. Celebrate the holidays with the show The New York Times calls “100 times better than any bedtime story!” | |
Broadway in Tucson
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
| | |
Centennial Hall
November 18
| | Manheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for more than 35 years! Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of dazzling multimedia effects – capturing the spirit of the season in an immersive yet intimate setting. | | 3. Bragging Rights: Micah's Encore | | This week, I'm sharing a brag from great mom Laora Fishman, who sent me a photo and video of the KiwiCo Eureka Crate Vending Machine STEM project that her son, Micah, recently completed. Laora and Micah are both Flock Bragging Rights alumni. Laora is the daughter of my long-time friend Norm Fishman. Norm was my Mac and iPhone guru for years, as well as a good sounding board to run ideas by. Unfortunately, we lost Norm last April. I think of him often, and we all miss him very much. Micah is doing his grandfather proud, displaying the same mechanical & technical aptitude. This KiwiCo vending machine is inspired by the Gashapon machines, which dispense small toys in plastic capsules and are a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Instead of toys, Micah decided to fill the capsules with cat treats. What a great young man! | | Micah's cat treat vending machine | | Micah's cat treat vending machine in action. | | 4. Flock Spotlight: Sean "Peaman" Pagett | | Sean "Peaman" Pagett overcame severe physical limitations and trauma to pursue his love of sports and to share and spread that love with the community he lives in. Since 1987, his Frozen Peas Productions (FPP) has sponsored light-hearted, monthly multi-sport races that are family-friendly, open to everyone, and free for participants. His father, Bill "Papa Pea" Pagett, who passed away almost 10 years ago, was one of my closest and dearest friends and one of the best training partners I've ever had. We rode miles and miles together, and swam for hours in the ocean waters of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, with a shared goal of competing in the Ironman World Championship. Thanks to Bill's help, I learned to become a better swimmer and managed to survive the open-water swim, eventually qualifying for the Ironman five times. Bill competed in four Ironman Championships alongside his son Sean. | | Meet ‘Peaman,’ a 60-year-old endurance athlete who turned tragedy into triumph | | |
Sean Pagett may not have a household name, but in Kona, they know exactly who you’re talking about when you say the word “Peaman.”
“If you call me by name, I always prefer ‘Pea’ or ‘Peaman’ versus my birth certificate name,” he said.
Pagett is the driving force behind the Big Island’s Peaman short-distance swim and run events that are staged on the last Sunday of the month in Kailua-Kona.
“It’s competitive. It’s social. It’s whatever anybody wants it to be,” he said. “If we don’t have a division for someone, we will make one.”
What hasn’t been easy is his personal struggle. When Pagett was a kid in California, he was run over by a speeding driver. His mom was killed. He suffered extensive injuries and damage to the part of his brain that controls the growth of muscle and bone.
“I’d be one of those people they’d say don’t ride a bike because if you fell, you could be paralyzed a lot easier than somebody else because your spinal cord is already flattened and pinched,” he said.
The accident couldn’t kill his desire to push his body to its limit. As an adult, even when he was near death and weighed only 80 pounds, he still exercised.
He has finished the grueling Ironman race a handful of times.
| | Bill Pagett, “Papa Pea” with son Sean “Peaman” in 1992. | |
5. Reader Submission: Photos from Frisco, Colorado
| | A big thank you to Flock reader Raquel Abru for sharing these beautiful photos from outside Frisco, Colorado, with us. I just love the Aspens. | | An idyllic trail through the Aspens | | Looking out over Dillon Reservoir | |
6. Around Town: Green Things Nursury
| | I drive right by the Green Things Nursery all the time. Still, I didn't know that they offered gardening classes where you can create your own terrarium, create festive Halloween planters, learn about growing and caring for indoor and outdoor plants, hydroponics, and tips on when and what to plant for successful gardening here in the Southwest. Check out their website for their fall class schedule, many of which are free to attend. While you're there, browse around a little for more tips on gardening in Tucson. | | From novices to experts, if gardening is your thing we're here for you! We focus our passion for plants so all gardeners can succeed. | |
7. Polar Bears of the Arctic: Part 3
| | In the past two issues of the Flock, I've been running a series on polar bears. Just today, I ran across this story of a tourist with a drone who was exploring a Soviet-era polar research station on an island in the Chukchi Sea that was abandoned in 1992. He found that polar bears had taken over the small enclave and moved into the vacant buildings. I think they are so cute in their little polar bear village. | | Polar bears take over abandoned research station in Russian Arctic | | From: Reuters, By: Lucy Papachristou, September 26, 2025 | | |
Polar bears have taken over an abandoned Soviet polar research station on small island off Russia's far northeastern cost.
Vadim Makhorov, a travel blogger, used a drone to film the bears roaming in and out of the facility's scattered buildings in the late summer Arctic sun this month on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea.
One snapped at the drone as it approached. Others playfully poked their heads out of the buildings as they were filmed.
| Polar Bears Move Into Houses In Abandoned Research Town In Russia | | Excerpt from The Polar Bear Family & Me
| | Incredible footage of cameraman and hungry polar bear | | |
This is the terrifying moment a wildlife cameraman comes face-to-face with a fierce 1,000kg polar bear looking for its next meal. The eight-foot predator repeatedly attacks the perspex cage housing Gordon Buchanan as he films a new series. For almost 45-minutes the Scottish filmmaker endures the polar bear's sustained assault as it desperately looks for a weak spot in his pod. The bear, with its powerful paws and giant teeth, was trying to get hold of the 40-year-old so she could feed herself and her two young cubs.
Additional excerpts from The Polar Bear Family & Me are available on the documentary's YouTube playlist page.
| | 8. Wellness: The Best Vegetables | | Good Housekeeping has a great article on the top 19 Vegetables that nutritionists recommend. Actually, it's 17 vegetables, plus tomatoes and green bananas, which are technically fruits, but can also be used in cooking. The article features health and nutrition highlights for each item on the list, as well as suggestions on how to incorporate them into your diet. So enjoy this article and eat your vegetables. | |
19 Top Nutrient-Dense Vegetables to Eat Daily, According to Nutritionists
Fresh, frozen or canned, the more you eat these veggies, the better you'll feel.
| | From Good Housekeeping, By: Alyssa Jung and Valerie Agyman, R.D., November 30, 2023 | | |
Steamed, unseasoned broccoli is no longer the poster child dish of healthy eating. Vegetables have gotten a serious reputation makeover — after all, who can debate their deliciousness when you roast, spiralize, air fry or otherwise transform these plant staples into something flavorful and satisfying?! (We think the answer is: Nobody!) And of course they're not just easy to make tasty, they're also some of the best foods you can eat because they're just so good for you.
"Vegetables are a wonderful part of a healthy diet. They provide an array of nutrients, including my all-time favorite, fiber," says Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, RDN, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of 360Girls&Women. Besides fiber, eating a variety of veggies also provides antioxidants and key vitamins and minerals that all work together to benefit your overall health and well-being. In fact, countless studies have linked increased veggie intake to decreased risk of chronic disease, including heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers…
Need some inspiration? While any vegetable is a good vegetable, we've rounded up some of the most nutrient-dense, healthiest vegetables to start adding to your grocery list. Use our nutritionist-approved guide to create healthy plant-based meals and snacks you can enjoy throughout the day. But don't just stick to one type of veggie — choose a variety to bulk up your meals and reap the most benefits. If you want to kick the nutrition up a notch, serve your veggies with an added fat source, such as an oil-based salad dressing, which can help you better absorb certain nutrients.
| |
9. Bindu's Corner: The Goddess Within
| | Celebrating the Goddess Within | | These Flock regulars are always here for you: | | Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories! | | I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story. | | Subscriptions & Idea Submissions
Reminder: Your submissions are always welcomed. | | |
Feel free to forward this email to a friend. If this was forwarded to you and you would like to receive your very own Flock Newsletter, you can sign up here. If you have any questions or suggestions for future Flock resources, don't hesitate to contact me.
Your fan and friend,
Beth
| | | The information and materials contained or referenced in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before beginning a new health care regimen. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical advice or care based on anything contained in this newsletter. | | | | |
