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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pima Dems to Honor Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik

The Pima County Democratic Party will honor Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik at a dinner on Saturday, April 16 at the Hotel Tucson City Center. Former presidential candidate and Colorado Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder will deliver the keynote address to more than 400 expected attendees. Democratic National Committeeman Fred DuVal will serve as master of ceremonies.

Tickets for the event are in limited supply but may be purchased online through the PCDP’s website, www.PimaDems.org or by calling (520) 326-3716. Tickets are $75 with proceeds will go to the Pima County Democratic Party.

Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik Tribute Dinner

Time: 5:00 pm Registration and No-Host Cocktails
6:30 pm Dinner

Location: Hotel Tucson City Center, 475 N. Granada Ave. (south of E. 6th Street)

Honoree: Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik

Kenote Speaker: Former U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colorado)

Guest Speakers: Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (CD 7)

Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall

Hon. Terry Goddard (former Arizona Attorney General)

Hon. Dan Eckstrom (former Pima County Supervisor)

Master of Ceremonies: Fred DuVal

Contact: Adam Kinsey
Executive Director, Pima County Democratic Party

Cell – (520) 834-6384
Office – (520) 326-3716
director@pimadems.org

Website for Pima County Sheriff’s Dept. (click here). “A veteran of over 50 years in local law enforcement, Clarence W. Dupnik has served as the Sheriff of Pima County, Arizona, since his appointment in February 1980. County voters endorsed the choice nine months later by electing him to his first four-year term and ratified that decision by re-electing him six additional times.” Dupnik is up for re-election in 2012.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns (composed of over 550 bi-partisan American Mayors) is crossing the country with a National Drive to Fix Gun Checks, building support for critical gun reforms and raising awareness of the 34 Americans who are murdered with guns every day.

Tucson’s rally was held today at Jacome Plaza (in front of Joel D. Valdez Main Library) to support the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011, which will “help get the records of prohibited buyers into the national database, and close the loopholes that let dangerous people buy guns.”

Victims of the Tucson shooting and other tragedies, numerous politicians, and community leaders spoke today calling on U.S. Congress to fix the background check system. Hundreds of people were in attendance at Jacome Plaza, and t-shirts stating “34 Americans are murdered with guns every day” were given out to those who signed the petition.

Ward 3 City Councilmember Karin Uhlich was the MC of today’s rally, saying she spoke with the support of Councilmembers Regina Romero (present), Paul Cunningham and Steve Kozachik (both not present). Uhlich said that “Tucsonans were standing together so that the suffering of January 8, 2011 will not be in vain, and to promote reasonable measures to safeguard the public.”

List of those who spoke at the Tucson rally:

–Patricia Maisch, citizen heroine on January 8, 2011 who stopped shooting suspect Jared Loughner from reloading

–Dr. Peter Rhee, Chief of Trauma, University Medical Center, who helped the January 8, 2011 shooting victims in the emergency room and thereafter

–Randy Gardner, Jan 8, 2011 shooting survivor

–Ross Zimmerman, father of Jan. 8, 2011 murdered victim Congressional aide Gabe Zimmerman (who also spoke for Gabe’s fiancee Kelly O’Brien)

–Dr. Ann Nichols, widow of State Senator Andy Nichols, whose father was killed by a gunman (when Andy was 4 years old)

–Tony Baccerra, gun shooting survivor, accompanied by his mother & sister

–Carol Gaxiola, Homicide Survivors Executive Director, whose 14 year old daughter was killed by a gunman

–Omar Samaha, whose sister Reema Samaha was one of those students killed at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007

–Vicky Walker, mother Pat Yuhas and sister Kristy Johnson – Vicky’s husband and daughter were killed in their car by a gunman

–former U.S.Senator Dennis Deconcini

–former Assistant Attorney General Vince Rabago, a gun owner & hunter

–former Attorney General Terry Goddard (with the support of former Attorney General Grant Woods)

–former Mayor Tom Volgy (with the support of former Mayor George Miller)

–Tucson Police Dept. Assistant Chief Brett Klein (for Police Chief Robert Villasenor)

–Pima County Sheriff Captain Byron Gwaltney (for Sheriff Clarence Dupnik), who was on duty on January 8, 2011

–Santa Cruz Sheriff Tony Estrada

–Rev. Jan Flaaten, Arizona Ecumenical Council

–Rev. David Wilkinson, St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church

Also in attendance was Registered Nurse Nancy Bowman, who rendered CPR and first aid to shooting victims Judge John Roll, Congressional aide Pam Simon, and Suzi Hileman on January 8, 2011 at the NW Safeway.

Most of the speakers agreed with Vince Rabago’s statement that “those who shouldn’t have guns shouldn’t have guns”. And most asked that there be background checks for those who are mentally ill, convicted felons, drug abusers, and at gun shows. Ross Zimmerman asked for “responsible behavior regarding gun ownership” stating that his son’s death “changed our community forever.”

Parked behind the speakers was the Fix Guns Checks national truck with a sign on the side stating “Americans murdered with guns since Tucson”. When the rally began the tally number on the truck was 2687, when the rally ended a hour/half later, the number had increased to 2689.

The National Drive to Fix Gun Checks kicked off in the wake of the Tucson shooting with one simple message: “We need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”

Since then, more than a quarter million Americans have signed the petition to Fix Gun Checks, and President Barack Obama has made fixing background checks a national priority, calling for reforms that would make the system instant, accurate and comprehensive.

The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 has been introduced in the U.S. Senate and will soon be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

To sign the National Petition to Fix Gun Checks, go to www.fixgunchecks.org.

Blogger Hugh Holub has written extensively on this issue and announced this event about federal legislation for background checks on guns:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2011/03/27/national-drive-to-fix-gun-checks-comes-to-tucson-monday-at-1-pm-downtown/.

Photos of today’s rally to be posted by me (separately), courtesy of Curtis Dutiel:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2011/03/28/photos-from-todays-mayors-against-illegal-guns-rally/