Sara Cina

Sara Cina

"It's not as busy here as it used to be," said Sara Cina, general manager of Long Wong's, a fixture for the college crowd since the 1970s."We have a lot of regulars, but as far as people just coming down here on Friday and Saturday night to hang out, I just don't see that as much."

She blames the city's 2002 smoking ban, which bars indoor smoking everywhere including bars, and she blames the high cost of rent that caters to high-end stores and a switch from mom-and-pops to chains.

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Still, Cina said the city doesn't seem to have a vision of whom they want to attract.

"It doesn't seem like the city cares about where the college kids spend their money," she said."They don't seem to be taking into account the locals and college kids and what made Mill Avenue unique."

Kimber Lanning, owner of Stinkweeds music shop on Apache Boulevard a mile east of downtown, agreed.

"I see a lot of kids, and I don't know anyone who goes down to Mill anymore," Lanning said."This is a university town, and now there's nobody downtown."

"There was such a buzz when the Blossoms were doing so good," says Sara Cina, Long Wong's general manager who has worked at the club since 1990.

Say It's Yer Birthday : The precocious princess of Mill Avenue , Long Wong's booker/manager Sara Cina , has been serving up equal parts beer , bands and attitude for nearly a decade.This week she celebrates her birthday with a special double bill at the club featuring reunited Tucson desert rockers the Sand Rubies and local alt-rock trio Gloritone.The Rubies made their return to town after a three-year absence last month with a pair of packed shows at Wong's and the Sail Inn.The show is set for Saturday , June 23.Showtime is 9 p.m..

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Sara Cina, Long Wong's general manager and booking agent, isn't sure when that'll happen -- could be March, could be May, could be even later.That's got Cina and staff on eggshells, and Cina isn't sure if Wong's would ever reopen.
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"Long Wong's was successful to me as an accident," Cina says.

Knowing that, longtime general manager Sara Cina says she's had to dissuade several patrons already from attacking portions of the ceiling with a drywall saw.

"No, not yet!"Cina says.
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Cina and owners Scott and Cheri Magill face the impossible task of re-creating the vibe that made Wong's, in all its rickety, cramped glory, so special.