Local journalists are teaching Fall classes offered by OASIS,”a national education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of mature adults through challenging programs in the arts, humanities, technology and volunteer service” for those 50 years and older.

OASIS at the Junior League of Tucson building is located at 2099 E. River Rd. Phone 520-322-5627, website:www.oasisnet.org/tucson. All types of classes are offered for the September-December session, with classes beginning on September 10. Processing fee is $12 per registration form. Classes are also offered at 11 other community locations in town.

Here’s the schedule for the Fall featuring journalists in Tucson:

October 8, 1 to 3 p.m. $10, OASIS at Junior League
“Whatever Happened to the Rio Nuevo that Voters Thought They were Getting?” by Josh Brodesky (Reporter/Metro columnist) and Team Leader Joe Burchell of AZ Daily Star

October 9, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, $7, OASIS at Junior League
Pulse of the Media with Kristi Tedesco, KVOA Channel 4 anchor

October 24, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, $9, OASIS at Junior League
“Examine the Year 2012 with David Fitzsimmons”, political cartoonist at the AZ Daily Star

November 13, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, $7, OASIS at Junior League
Pulse of the Media with Jim Nintzel, political reporter at Tucson Weekly, and AZPM Channel 6′s host of Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable (Friday evenings)

December 11, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, $7, OASIS at Junior League
Pulse of the Media with Forrest Carr, KGUN 9′s News Director

Pick up the Tucson OASIS catalog (at Pima County public libraries) to select from a wide variety of classes in tai chi, yoga, computer skills, art, cooking, dance, foreign languages (Spanish, German), etc. Tours around town (i.e Benedictine Monastery, Mansions of Main Avenue) or out of town (i.e. Canyon Lake, Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Pecan Festival in Sahuarita) are also offered.

You can register online (click here), by mail, or in person.

AZ Illustrated Channel 6 held a debate tonight between District 4 Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll and fellow Republican challenger Sean Collins, a political newcomer. Political Roundtable host Jim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly moderated the event (click here to see the video online).

The Pima County Tea Party Patriots are hosting a live debate between these same two men on August 2 (first day early voting starts for Arizona’s August 28 primary).

From Pima County Republican Party website:

Pima County Tea Party Patriots Present BoS District 4 Debate – Time 6-8:00pm
Candidates Ray Carroll and Sean Collins discuss issues – pimacountyteapartypatriots@gmail.com
Where: Cottonwood Elementary School, 9950 E Rees Loop, Tucson (Rita Ranch off Houghton)
When: Thursday, August 2, 2012, 6:00 PM

Campaign info:

Ray Carroll, 15 year incumbent Supervisor since first appointed in May 1997, former Foundation Manager for Casa de los Niños, www.electraycarroll.com

Sean Collins, political newcomer, owner of Dairy Queen in Vail, also manages “high level Department of Defense projects”,www.collins4supervisor.com

Collins is Supervisor Carroll’s first opponent since the general election of Nov. 1998. Carroll defeated Republicans Brenda Even (widow of Supervisor John Even) & Ken Marcus in the 1998 primary, then Libertarian Gay Lynn Goetzke in the General. He ran unopposed in 2000, 2004, and 2008. There is no Democrat/Green/Libertarian/Other candidate running for District 4 Pima County Supervisor, so the winner of this primary will take the seat.

Watch or attend these debates, and vote wisely on or before August 28.

Podcast clips from the Pima County Tea Party Patriot debate, click here.

8/5/12 update: Az Daily Star endorses Supervisor Carroll:http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/carroll-deserves-re-election-in-county-s-dist/article_0c6c6a3d-7c9b-555c-8a42-767a8bdaafff.html

Supervisor Ray Carroll

Sean Collins

Press release from Arizona Public Media, www.azpm.org (KUAT Channel 6):

Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable
Premieres with New Host Jim Nintzel
New format on PBS-HD Channel 6
Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m. starting September 16th

Tucson, Ariz. – September 9, 2011 – Jim Nintzel, senior writer for the Tucson Weekly and a longtime contributor to Arizona Public Media, will host a new political roundtable on the Friday evening edition of Arizona Illustrated premiering Friday, September 16th at 6:30 p.m. The program will feature a mix of political strategists and reporters who will bring insider perspective to the events of each week.

Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable will be part of PBS-HD Channel 6’s Friday night news block airing at 6:30 p.m. before PBS NewsHour, Washington Week, Arizona Week and Need to Know. The program repeats at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning in addition to video-on-demand at www.azpm.org.

“I’ve missed doing the Friday Roundtable and am thrilled to be part of the team that’s bringing a new version to Arizona Illustrated,” Nintzel said. “As the host, I hope to bring fresh insights and perspectives from both the left and the right to our viewers. It’s great to be back in the AZPM studios providing in-depth political news for the community.”

Jack Gibson, Director and General Manager of AZPM states “This new restructuring of the Friday Roundable supports Arizona Public Media’s strategic focus on news and current affairs. Jim, with his respected standing in the community and long experience in the political arena, is a welcome addition to our broadcast team.”

New Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable format:
• The format for Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable will include Nintzel, political strategists and insiders from both the left and the right sides of the political aisle, reporters from Arizona Public Media and other special guests who will provide analysis of the week’s events in local, state and national politics, as well as forecasts of future political trends.

The premiere program on September 16th will include the following guests:
Jonathan Paton, former Arizona state lawmaker and congressional candidate,
Rodd McLeod, Political Strategist (Congressional campaigns of Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords and the 2010 gubernatorial campaign of Terry Goddard),
Andrea Kelly, political reporter, Arizona Public Media.

About Jim Nintzel:
Having covered politics in Southern Arizona for two decades at the Tucson Weekly, Jim Nintzel has won more than 30 statewide and national journalism awards for reporting, commentary and feature writing and was named a Journalist of the Year by the Arizona Newspaper Association in 2010. He was part of PBS-HD Channel 6’s Friday Roundtable for 15 years and has aided Arizona Public Media with political debates and other segments. He is an adjunct faculty member who has taught government reporting at the University of Arizona School of Journalism since 2001.