12 Jan 5th–Jan 11th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | ClarenCe Dixon May 11, 2022 In 2014, the state of Arizona stopped executions. The badly botched killing of a person on death row brought enough scrutiny and litigation to keep Arizona from issuing death warrants for almost a decade. But the execution of Clarence Dixon marked a new, bloody era for the death penalty in Arizona, which Attorney General Mark Brnovich had worked to restart for years. Since Dixon’s execution, two more on Arizona’s death row have been put to death: Frank Atwood in June and Murray Hooper in November. In December, with only weeks left in his term, Brnovich requested another death warrant for Aaron Gunches, a man convicted of a 2002 murder. During each execution in 2022, state Department of Corrections officials have struggled to properly insert IVs to administer the lethal drugs. Each execution also marked the end of a thorny capital case that had stretched decades. When Dixon died, he was 66. Some 44 years had passed since the murder of which he was convicted — that of 21-year- old Deana Bowdoin, who was assaulted and killed in her Tempe apartment in 1978. Only Bowdoin’s sister lived to see Dixon’s final moments. Dixon, as his attorneys argued before Arizona’s clemency board, was elderly and frail by the time of his execution. “Extinguishing his life isn’t justice. It may be revenge, but it is not justice,” attorney Amanda Bass said. The state proceeded anyway. — KATYA SCHWENK BernarD ‘Klute’ SChoBer July 18, 2022 Walt Whitman and, more recently, Bob Dylan claimed to contain multitudes. And they do. So, too, did Bernard Schober, known as The Klute. He was a mainstay of the Valley poetry scene for 20 years, lighting up stages with his hilarious, high- energy performances; representing the Valley at many national poetry slam competitions; and inspiring and encour- aging countless writers around him. His other passion was shark conserva- tion — remember, multitudes. Schober took every opportunity to go scuba diving around the world to see his favorite animals and published books of poetry about sharks and donated the proceeds to conservation organizations. He was outspoken about his political opinions, often sparring on Twitter with people who voted Republican or didn’t believe in climate change. He was a fan of mai tais — preferably served in tiki mugs — and long black trench coats. After Schober suffered a heart attack while hiking, tributes from around the country poured in from his family, friends, and the many people whose lives he touched in the poetry and conservation worlds. They spoke of his generosity, his wit, and his kindness. In his honor, they’ve written poems and organized beach cleanups. His legacy lives on. — JENNIFER GOLDBERG MiChael FelDer August 30, 2022 People trusted Michael Felder. They told him their stories, their fears, and their troubles. For someone who lived on the streets in Phoenix, that trust was an important quality. It helped him survive, but more significantly, it also made him an effective organizer. Felder was born in South Carolina, though he left that state in adulthood and spent time in Florida and Nevada before moving to Phoenix. He came to the city to seek a new life in 2018 and soon found himself living in a downtown Phoenix encampment called the Zone. That’s where he became a leader. Felder worked with an organization called the Fund for Empowerment to collect the stories of his neighbors and document alleged abuses by the city in the area. He helped distribute masks and other supplies during the early days of the pandemic. But in the summer of 2020, things took a turn. Felder was jailed on a petty drug charge just before he was set to receive a housing voucher. When he was released in August 2022, he lived on the streets again. Felder, 62, died of heatstroke in his tent on August 30, two days after he got out of jail. The high that day was 109 degrees. He wanted to get back to his work with the Fund for Empowerment and speak with investiga- tors from the U.S. Justice Department, which is looking into the city’s treatment of unsheltered people. Instead, he became one of 378 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County in 2022, according to a preliminary accounting. For his friends, Felder’s death was tragic, senseless, and cruel. “Michael was an amazing seeker of justice,” said Elizabeth Venable, a fellow organizer with the Fund for Empowerment. Now, the city faces a lawsuit over its treatment of unsheltered people — treat- ment that Felder fought hard to bring to light. — KATYA SCHWENK eMManuel ‘Manny’ tripoDiS September 6, 2022 Many knew Emmanuel Tripodis as Manny, a man who had a tremendous impact on the local music and nightlife scene in Phoenix. He died on September 6 following a three-year-long battle with cancer. He was 51. Tripodis grew up in La Porte, Indiana, before making his way to the desert south- west. He not only loved music but also was a singer and guitarist. In Scottsdale, he ran Rogue Bar, an iconic rock venue with nightly shows, for 12 years. There, he encouraged emerging talent and fostered budding musicians. He provided a stage for new bands to perform for the first time in front of a small crowd at the 80-person- capacity venue. In 2012, New Times named him Best Local Music Booster and noted his “tireless support of local music.” When Rogue Bar closed in 2019, Tripodis turned his attention to Linger Longer Lounge, a friendly dive bar and music venue in north Phoenix that he ran with his wife, Jade Noble, and friend Cal Cronin. Tripodis and Noble also bought the beloved boutique Frances on Camelback Road. There, in Tripodis’ first foray into retail, he managed the numbers. Tripodis often remained behind the scenes, encouraging others to take the stage and spotlight. But when news of his passing spread, tributes poured out on social media, radio stations, newspaper articles, and live shows with his legacy now in public view. — TIRION MORRIS >> p 14 Departed from p 10
